Maybe?
by Dowash
Summary: After getting what you want, how far are you willing to go to keep him yours? HP/SB
1. Chapter 1

Hello everybody! First of all I'd like to thank you for giving this story a chance. It's my baby so... *sniff*

And then, **_atteeention! _**I just started a major rewrite with this fic. Nothing _too _major, though, I'm not altering or changing the 'big plot' in any way, just making it more pleasurable for you (and me when I read it later again :D ) to read. So, when you see the change in quality, wording, grammar etc. at some point, this is why. Right now, I've re-written (and updated the rewritten chapters) up to Ch 2, and I'm planning on gradually replacing the rest as soon as my hectic life becomes a bit less hectic. So look forward to it ;)

And then to the nasty part.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these lovely gents *sniff* They belong to the pretty lady living in somewhere quite else than inside my head. I'm just borrowing Harry and Sirius to entertain my twisted mind.

And by the way, did you just see that thing the Hippogriffs stomped to the ground? Yeah, right that! Poor canon. Seems like it won't be able to join us on our little trip... Wave your goodbyes.

**Warnings:** Slash relations (Harry/Sirius; or Sirius/Harry if you want the top to be first =P) . There's smut visible on the near horizon, so I advice you to think if you want to read it. No use reviewing and flaming me for it because I gave you a fair warning ;) If you don't like, then don't read.

--

_Harry thinking _

**Sirius thinking**

--

* * *

Harry had a problem. Well, problem_s_, to be precise. Plural. One of them- not at all- being the fact that he had a psychopath serial-killer on his heels all the time. No, of course not. He was just an innocent, I'm-not-special- sorta 15-year-old.

_Yeah right, who am I kidding? _

At least this particular problem didn't threaten his life. Well, as long as he didn't tell anyone that he was having _those_ kinds of dreams- and thoughts - about one escaped convict that went by the name Snuffles in his letters.

Harry shuddered. The particular dream he'd woken up to had been extremely vivid. This led him back to his not-yet-life-threatening problem, as he was _pretty_ sure that he wasn't a) supposed to have dreams like these and b) wake up with a hard-on that required either a long wank or an extremely cold shower for the next twenty minutes.

Sighing deeply, the teen looked at the clock on his bedside. 4.30.

_Great._

As Harry was – once again- so charmingly cooped up in Privet Drive for at least a part of the summer, he immediately banished the idea of taking a cold shower. Even if he _could_ threaten the Dursley's with Sirius now- having conveniently forgotten to tell them the man was innocent- he highly doubted that the threat of a supposed mass-murderer would calm them down if he decided to take a shower so early in the morning.

This left Harry with two choices. He could either indeed do something about his situation below or try to get rid of it with some very not-arousing thoughts. And as he was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to look Sirius straight in the eye if he got off thinking about him, he decided to go with solution number one. His birthday two days ago. Yes, that was very platonic.

**Flashback**

Harry had been in his room, doing his homework. It was late in the night, the Dursley's were sleeping, and Harry thanked Merlin for that. He really hated being in the house when they were awake, as their lives purpose seemed to be to torture him to death with work. So, he was out most of the time and only came back just before Dudley, as his Aunt and Uncle seemed to think that if he came after Dudley, he was automatically late. Hence, nights were the only time when he could do his homework.

As Harry was struggling with a Potions essay that Snape had so kindly asked them to do, he almost missed the sight of the owls approaching his window from his spot on the bed. Only after one of them had nearly collided with the window frame and let out a deafening shriek did he notice them. Freezing completely, he strained his hearing to pick up any signs of awoken Dursleys through the pounding of his heart. He would be in deep shit had they woken up. But to the teen's great relief, no sound was heard. He exhaled, letting out the breath he had unintentionally been holding in.

Harry got up carefully as not to push over the open bottle of ink on the sheets, looking at the owls. There were four of them, three dark, and one pure white. His Hedwig, as he realized pretty soon. Harry scrutinized the three other birds and recognized Pig and Errol. The third one was nearly black with intelligent golden eyes that were looking back at him quite peacefully. He didn't know whose it was but it was beautiful. Hedwig hooted softly and drew Harry's attention to what they were carrying, a gasp slipping past his lips. Right before him was a small mountain of packets, one in each owl's leg. Poor Pig's package was as big as the tiny owl himself.

The teen quickly untied the parcels and offered the owls some water, drawing the window close. For a few seconds he just watched as the birds drank contently before turning his attention to the gifts, his eyes lighting up. Harry collected the packs to his bed and arranged himself into a comfortable position before getting started with his unwrapping, taking the packet the black owl had been carrying as his first victim. It turned out to be from Sirius and Harry grinned widely as he tore open the envelope, his eyes falling to the writing running over the white parchment.

_Hiya, Sunny boy!_

_I hope you're coping with me not being there to lighten your day! I know that it must be unbearable, but no worries! You'll see me soon enough. _

_So, how was that, huh, huh? Want to know why we'll have our little reunion, hmm? Well, I'm not telling. (And I'm sticking out my tongue at this point. A true measure of my maturity, now wouldn't you agree?) _

_Anyway, I just wanted to wish you a happy fifteenth birthday. _

_What?!! You mean you nearly __**forgot**__?!! Well, you better lick my boots then, as I was so generous to enlighten you! Wolfy here says Happy Birthday too, by the way. I think he slipped something into my gift when I was wrapping it. DAMN HIM!!! He should get his own. _

_(And now I'm pouting, if you didn't guess. Such an artistic expression, I wonder why no-one else appreciates it. Buu.) _

_Well, see ya soon! Beat the shit out of the Dursley's for me! Or prank them to death. Whichever is closest to your heart!_

_Happy B-day!_

_Luuuuuvs _

_Snuffles_

Harry shook his head in slight disbelief, a maniacal grin on his face as he folded the letter. Sirius always managed to cheer him up. And the prospect of seeing him soon made his smile even wider, if possible. He unwrapped the gift and another gasp slipped from his lips, his eyes almost bulging out, for inside the wrappings there was the most amazing little trunk he had ever seen, along with a thick book. The trunk had a little note attached to the side of it and Harry raised an eyebrow as he recognized Sirius' handwriting again.

_Well, hello again! So, this trunk here is __**very**__ rare so you better start worshipping the ground under my feet right about now, if you already aren't. I shrank it a bit, of course. Odysseus (the black owl) wouldn't have been able to carry it otherwise. I'll tell you more about it when we meet. _

Harry caressed the trunk with his fingertips, his eyes flitting from the small note to his present. He being in awe would've been the understatement of the century. The trunk was just- _perfect_. Even when it was about the size of a shoebox right now, Harry could make out the golden patterns that traced around the otherwise black trunk. He could see the tiny keyholes in the front, reminding him of Moody's trunk.

The teen tore his eyes from the trunk long enough to direct his attention to the book that was under the trunk, dragging it out. And for a moment all he could do was to gape at the title.

_Defense Against the Dark Arts: Mind Magic._

The teen opened the book carefully, nearly missing the small note placed between the cover and the first page in his eagerness. This time it was Professor Lupin's neat handwriting that greeted him from the parchment.

_Hello Harry,_

_I hope you're all right and that the Muggles are treating you fine. I thought that you might enjoy this book; I certainly found it interesting when I leafed through it in the store. By the way, did Snuffles already command you to worship the ground under his feet or something? Please, I'm begging you. Don't! He has a swollen head as it is, he won't be able to carry it if it gets any bigger. And I did NOT slip this book in when he was wrapping his gift, I asked him nicely if he could add this. Really, you should've seen him. He was like a five-year-old. But, as we know more than well how his mental state is, I'm surprised he managed to be at least that much of a grown-up. _

_Err... I'm receiving death glares right now so I think I'll stop this one here. I'm not suicidal after all. _

_So, Happy Birthday and we'll see soon!_

_Take care,_

_Remus _

Harry chuckled lightly and put the book and the trunk aside, deciding to get into the work fully later. He then opened the package that Pig had been carrying, accurately guessing that it was from Ron.

_Harry,_

_Happy Birthday! Now, I promise that I didn't get you a book. Who am I, Hermione? Not a chance, mate. Anyway, how are you? Are the Muggles treating you well? Threaten them with you-know-who (not __**that**__ you-know-who, the other) and I'm sure you'll have fun. Anyway, I'll talk to my parents if you could come here too. Enjoy your present!_

_Have fun, _

_Ron_

Harry was getting rather suspicious as to what Ron could have given him when he unwrapped the present. He was halfway through the unwrapping when his jaw slackened and he stilled, only able to gape for a second or two before he returned to his task and his gift rolled to his bed. His friends had all clearly made a secret organization which went by the name 'Let's-spoil-Harry-to-death'. Ron's present was a wand holster with marvelous patterns on it, not to mention it looked very expensive. He didn't even want to know how Ron had gotten his hands on it. Here, too, was a small note attached.

_Is your jaw on the floor already? Good, it should be. My father helped me to get this. He says that after a few spells you'll be the only one who can wear it and that should anyone try to steal it, the consequences would be, interesting…I'll tell you more about it when I'll see you. Have fun! Btw, make Dudley touch it and see what happens! Gred and Feorge send their Happy Birthday-wishes as well. _

Harry doubted if he could take any more of this when he reached for Hermione's present. Books, of course, but what books! _How to Defend Yourself from the Darkest of spells _and_ Common knowledge of Healing Charms: How to heal small cuts and bruises. _

There was a small note from Hermione here too.

_Hi Harry!_

_Happy Birthday! I hope you enjoy your books! I think that I'll see you soon so we'll talk then. Are the Muggles treating you okay? Your scar okay? If there's anything odd, don't hesitate to write to Professor Dumbledore!_

_Take care,_

_Hermione_

Harry's face was starting to ache for all the smiling. His friends were the best!

**End of Flashback**

Harry's below had luckily started to act more civil when his remising was finished, and though his stomach _had_ thrown a small somersault when he'd thought of Sirius, it was all settled now. He began to wonder what on Earth was going on, as all of his friends seemed to think that he was going to see them soon. Harry himself had no idea what they were talking about but hoped someone would just tell him. He hated this, being kept in the dark.

The teen managed to go back to sleep, waking up around noon. He dressed up and went outside; avoiding the Dursley's as much as possible. Harry spent most of the day wandering around Little Whinging and finally made his way to the park where he had first met his Godfather. He sat on one of the swings, gazing to the ground as he tried to fight against the boredom threatening to take him over. Suddenly he heard the voices of a few boys, the sounds getting closer.

"Well, look who it is," one of the boys said, drawling annoyingly. It made Harry instantly think about Malfoy and he grimaced.

"Oi, oi. What's with that face, freak?"

Harry looked up and saw that they were no other than Dudley and his little gang. By the look of Polkiss' face, he had been the one taunting him. Not that he needed any confirmation, he would've recognized that voice anywhere.

"Well, people usually make this kind of a face when they want to convey a feeling of disgust," Harry said. It took a while for his words to sink into the boys head but when they did, Polkiss paled dramatically. It was quite fun to watch, as Harry came to notice.

"How… How dare you?" Polkiss said, voice just an audible whisper.

Harry raised an eyebrow, amused. "How dare I, what?" he asked casually, as if talking about the weather. "Explain to you what a facial expression means, Polkiss?"

The addressed pursed his lips and looked like he had eaten a lemon. Polkiss glanced at Dudley, who was standing a bit to his left, as if asking for permission. Dudley's face was fun to watch as well, as Harry noticed. He seemed to ponder over the pros and cons of beating the shit out of him and the teen knew exactly what his cousin was thinking. It would bring great satisfaction to the new terror of Little Whinging to see the freak bleed. On the other hand, Dudley knew that he had his wand somewhere hidden and didn't want to get cursed.

Polkiss got tired of waiting and decided to hit the little asshole for making fun of him. He'd deal with Dudley later. Right now he wanted to teach a lesson to the insolent excuse of a teen. _No-one_ made fun of him and got away with it. As he stepped forwards to punch that smirk out of the Potty's face, he heard a quiet hawk. Polkiss turned to look to his right and saw a man leaning to one of the steel bars that kept the whole swing up, a fine eyebrow arched.

"Tut, tut, boys" the man said, a small smile playing in his lips. Polkiss' eyes ran over his slim figure, shoulder length black hair and piercing grey eyes, assessing how much of a bother he'd be to them. "Five against one, how courageous."

Hearing the voice, Harry's head had snapped towards the other man so fast that he felt a bit dizzy. No, it couldn't be… HE couldn't be… But he was. Sirius- and Harry tried hard not to think _his_ Sirius- was standing a mere meter away from him, looking at the group of bullies coldly.

_What the hell is he doing here?!!!_

"And who the hell are you, huh?" one of Dudley's gang members asked, blustering.

Sirius just raised an eyebrow. "Why, I'm Harry's Godfather, of course."

At this, Dudley turned an interesting shade of grey.

"Oo, Dudley, what's wrong?" Polkiss asked, poking his friend's side when he noticed his distress. "What is it?" he said, shaking the fat teen's arm when he didn't get an immediate answer to his question..

"Sirius B-Bl-Black" was the only thing that came out of Dudley's mouth. Then it was Polkiss' turn to pale as his head whipped back to the man like he was suddenly afraid he would get attacked. He'd heard about Black on the news a few years ago. An insane mass-murderer, or so he'd heard. He noticed the small glint that had entered the man's eyes and he did look a bit insane in his eyes.

"Let's go" Polkiss muttered and all but ran from the park, followed by his friends.

Sirius let out a small chuckle and that was all he managed before he got the air knocked out of him by an eager fifteen-year-old teen who had apparently decided to squeeze him to death.

"Oi, need to breath here" Sirius wheezed with a laugh even though he too was trying his best to squeeze Harry to death. Then they finally let go of each other and the teen just looked Sirius in awe, like he didn't believe that the man really was there.

_No, no. Not that way! Imagination ahoy! It would be appreciated if you came back right now! It was just a platonic hug. No need to think what Sirius would look like naked right this second_!

Harry was shaken out of his thoughts when Sirius waved hand in front of his face.

"Earth to Harry! Earth to Harry! Answer immediately! Earth to HAARRYY!!!"

Harry blinked slowly, looking at Sirius with slightly confused eyes.. "No need to yell, Sirius," he said with a chuckle. "I'm right here."

Sirius snickered, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, right," he stated. "You were a million miles away, boy. Okay, I know when I'm not needed. I'll just go now," the man continued in a mock-hurt tone, starting to turn around.

"No, wait. Sirius! Of course I need you" Harry exclaimed, grabbing the man's arm.

_You have no idea just how much…_

"I was just surprised, that's all," the teen continued. "What the hell are you doing here? The ministry could catch you!" Harry was very much out of breath at this point so when he compensated for that fact, Sirius cut in.

"My dear Sunny boy, the Minister Officers are so deep in their asses that I'm surprised if they find their teabags in the morning. No worries there."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I meant to ask you actually. Sunny boy? What am I here, two? And are you my perverted Grandfather or something?"

Sirius flung his hand over his heart and staggered backwards, a mock-hurt expression on his face. "Why, I'm deeply offended here. I thought you would like your new nickname. All those 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' kinda names are just so boooring!"

"And the only thing you could think of was 'Sunny boy'? My, you must be desperate," Harry countered with a smirk.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Are too!"

"Don't you try to trick me, Sirry-Birry," Harry chuckled. "Now, tell your beloved Godson why his idiot of a Godfather is here and scares little kids to death."

"Hey, I'm not an idiot!" Sirius protested heatedly, though he was grinning just as widely as Harry was. "Besides, I wouldn't have been able to pull all those pranks during school if I was! Anyway, liked your present?"

"You're avoiding my question but I think I'll give you some mercy for the time being," Harry stated." And no, I didn't like my present. I fucking loved it! Where did you get it? Is it the same kind as Moony's? How many locks are there, I couldn't count?"

"Now, now, Sunny boy," Sirius said, lifting a hand to top the flood of questions. "Let your _idiotic_ Godfather sit down for a sec as he's getting rather old."

The man grinned and went to sit on one of the swings, straddling it. Harry did the same for the opposite swing so that they could talk more easily.

"You are not _old_, you big Drama Queen," the teen said, rolling his eyes. "Now tell me."

"Well, I think you should find out for yourself," Sirius said, a mischievous glint about in his eyes as he leaned his head to the chain. "It ain't any fun if I tell you, you know."

"Ha-ha," Harry said, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly again. "I also meant that you should tell me what you're doing here."

Sirius twisted his lips down before chuckling. "Why Sirry-Birry, by the way?" he asked.

Harry chuckled, twisting the swing around. "It's no fun if I'm the only one with a nickname here," he stated with a grin. "Now answer my question, you great avoider. And I'm not gonna either lick your boots or worship the ground you walk on, by the way."

Sirius flashed the teen a lopsided grin before getting solemn again. "I'm here to check on you," he informed. "Dumby said that he can allow that much. Particularly after I said that you'll be like dynamite if left on your own for too long, with the only one to talk to being your owl. So, he agreed on a quicky- quick visit."

_Ooh, a quicky. No! Forget that! He didn't mean it like that! Just an innocent word! I really need to wash my brain. Yeah, a good idea, that one._

**Man, he looks like that again. Wonder what he's thinking. Mmm... His lips do look quite delicious from here… NO! Impure thoughts! Wrong thoughts! Earth to Sirius! Think about James and Lily! Yes, James and Lily! They made you his guardian, not proper to think like this! Hush hush!!**

Sirius and Harry were both so deep in thought that it took them both a few seconds to realize that the air had gone cold. Only when the teen raised his head again did he notice the unnatural cold that was creeping under his skin and making his bones shiver. His breath came out as short gasps, making little white clouds of smoke. They looked up at the same time and paled, their eyes widening as they realized what they were looking at.

_Dementors._

Two of them. Floating just above the park with the dark-gray sky as their background.

* * *

**A.N/** On to the next chapter, hooo!!!


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N/** And on we go with the show!

* * *

"S-Sirius" Harry whispered. He lowered his gaze back to his Godfather who was still looking at the sky, only to see a hard mask of blankness arranged to the man's face. The screams came and he tried to shrug them off.

The youth noticed some movement behind Sirius and his insides twisted, something nauseating squirming in the pit of his stomach. He could see the black robes and the mask hiding the man's face, but that small and plump body-build was something he would never forget. The Death Eater stood behind them, near the fence rounding the park. About to enjoy the show, undoubtedly.

"Sirius," Harry said as quietly as he could, his hold on the icy chain tightening as he tried to speak without letting the Death Eater see it. He didn't have to see the Dementors coming closer to know they had done just that, the screaming and laughing inside his head getting louder. The youth tried to concentrate only on Sirius' face and for a second it worked, he just looked at the gleaming gray eyes that looked empty like someone had slammed the shutters close. "There's a Death Eater behind you," he breathed, cursing the white puff that erupted from his lips. "About ten feet or so. Sirius, he looks like Wormtail."

Harry saw the man's jaw tightening and then the screams inside his head exploded, he could see the Dementors' shadows gliding over Sirius' face as he looked at him. The man went as stiff as a board, his eyes burning with mad rage as they finally lowered back to the youth. The pure intensity in that gaze made Harry uncomfortable and when he noticed the small move Sirius' hand made as the man took his wand from his pocket, his mind hit on nothing.

"You take the Dementors, Harry," Sirius said, barely moving his lips. He looked at the youth for a second before a dark grin lit his face, revealing a set of white teeth that nearly seemed to be chewing on something. "Ima beat the shit out of that _rat_."

Harry nodded numbly. No questions asked. He would've done anything the man had asked when he looked like that.

The Dementors came closer and the youth shuddered violently. He'd already somehow managed to forget the queasy coldness they emitted, making his skin crawl as he fought to keep the man before him clear in his eyes. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to fight the overwhelming despair that seemed to fill him. The despair came back now that he wasn't concentrating solely on Sirius again.

Harry barely saw the man move before Sirius was already up, hunting down his prey. He looked up and tried to think of something happy as he directed his wand towards the Dementors. "Expecto Patronum," the youth breathed, and a wall of gray smoke erupted between them.

He scrambled up and backed towards Sirius, barely seeing the man from the corner of his eye as he racked his brain. The Dementors came closer and the youth could hear their crackling breathing, making a freezing shiver draw its icy fingers down his back. He heard a muffled scream from behind and tried to ignore it, fighting to find a happy memory. Anything happy.

Harry heard another scream and suddenly wondered if Sirius was alright. He didn't dare to turn around. But Sirius…

The youth gasped as the memory engulfed him, warmth spreading to every part of him as he managed to grind out the spell again. This time his stag erupted from the tip of his wand and charged forth, its silvery figure illuminating the entire park as it seemingly easily drove the creatures away.

Harry tried to inhale as the warmth of the evening suddenly jumped back and a breeze coursed through the silent park, his newly discovered heart thrumming in his ears.

Another scream echoed in the park and made the youth turn around, his hurried steps taking him to the edge of the park where Sirius stood with a messy lump at his feet.

"There, you want some more, rat?" the man was just asking, the mad burn still in his eyes as his shoe connected with the side of the Death Eater. Harry heard a high-pitched moan and it made his stomach twist as he halted next to his godfather, looking down.

Peter looked up to them with nearly incredulous eyes, as if he couldn't believe things had come to this. His wand was in Sirius' hand and he had no means to get it; he was tied up from head to toe.

"You okay?" the man asked from Harry, glancing to him briefly.

"Yeah," the youth said, surprised to find his voice so much stronger than it had felt in his throat. "I'm- I'm fine…"

"No thanks to you, though," Sirius said nastily, poking Peter's chest with his shoe. "What the hell were you thinking, that Harry'd be alone and you'd get a clear shot without even dirtying your hands? Oh_ please_…"

Peter looked like that had been exactly his plan, the watery eyes shining with hatred as he looked up to the youth. "I-"

"I don't think we want to hear," Sirius said, nudging the plump mass's stomach. "You're just a toerag, Wormy. And I don't think that carting your boss's enemy No. 1 right to his stinking feet would've given you much credit when Harry'd been soulless already."

"Don't underestimate me!" Peter nearly screamed, then started to wriggle. Harry swallowed and looked from one man to the other, unnerved by the look on Sirius' face.

"Why shouldn't I?" Sirius asked, his wand lowering to point between the Animagius's eyes. "And go ahead, try shifting to that dirty rat. I'll have fun watching as you kill yourself."

Peter's eyes widened and he struggled even more, feeble screams slipping past his bloated lips. "You- You wouldn't!" he shrieked.

"I don't have to, you'll do it all by yourself," Sirius noted with a mean grin. "Haven't you ever heard of this thing called 'Anti-Animagius- hex'? You should've you were there when we talked about it."

"That was a joke!" Peter shrieked, his eyes widening pathetically as he struggled against the ropes with even more vigor.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Right," he grinned.

Suddenly, an owl flew to them and dropped a letter to Harry's feet. Before the youth could do a thing, the bird had already swooped away. They all looked at the white envelope at his feet for a few seconds before he crouched down to pick it up, his eyes fixated on the man before him as he did so.

Harry swallowed down his heart as he turned the envelope around and opened it, pulling out the shiny-white parchment.

_Dear Mr. Potter_

_It has come to our notice that you performed a Patronus charm earlier this evening, at 9.43. As you are well aware, it is forbidden for under aged wizards to use Magic outside school. This misdemeanor along with the previous warning you received from the Ministry three years ago is of that gravity against the Degree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underaged Sorcery that you have been expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A Minister Officer will come to your house to take care of your wand._

_Hoping you are well,_

_Yours sincerely,_

_Mafalda Hopkirk,_

_Improper Use of Magic Office_

_Ministry of Magic_

Harry blinked. Then he felt like laughing.

He'd been _expelled_?! They knew nothing about the situation and then they wanted to _expel_ him?!

Harry read through the letter again, and then again, and then the fourth time in a row. He barely heard Sirius' voice from his side, asking him what was wrong. The black words on the parchment were nearly screaming at him, and the more he read through it, the more it sank in.

_He'd been expelled_. Which mean that it was over, all of it. He would never return to Hogwarts, he'd never walk along those corridors again. But more importantly, he didn't have anywhere to go anymore.

Emptiness gnawed at his insides and the parchment got wrinkled in his hand as his fist clenched, the envelope dropping to the ground. All the youth could do was stare down to the son of a bitch who'd made this absurd scenario real and the paper scrunched in his hand as his fingers grasped at it.

Harry was cut off from his musing when Sirius whacked the back of his head. Hard.

"For Merlin's sake!" the man exclaimed, momentarily ignoring Wormtail to turn towards the youth. "What is it? Stop looking like someone sent you your death sentence!"

"Well, kinda close, actually." Harry said, his voice nonchalant as he looked at his Godfather in some sort of reluctant acceptance. "They expelled me."

"What?!" Sirius asked incredulously, his eyes lowering to the parchment in the youth's hand. "Why?" he nearly snarled.

"Because I used magic. Because of _him_," Harry said, pointing down towards Peter and turning to look at him again. "And now they'll come to cut my wand neatly in two," he continued, trying to prevent himself from feeling the terror that small sentence caused. The watery eyes before him suddenly made his anger flare up and he wanted to kick the tiny man before him, his fingers tightening their hold on his wand he still had in his other hand.

The rage boiled inside Harry the more he looked down. It was all this man's fault. And now he had been expelled from the only place that could've taught him something that might've been able to help him to live even a bit longer.

"H-Harry" Wormtail pleaded, looking horrified to death by the stare he was getting from both Harry and Sirius.

"Don't you Harry me, you rat." Harry hissed lowly, his eyes burning. "It's your fault I ended up like this!"

The youth was about to continue when another owl came to him, dropping a letter to his feet. Harry threw a freezing look towards Wormtail who shivered before he crouched down again to pick up the letter.

_Harry! _

_I heard what happened, I was at work when the notice came. DO NOT USE ANY MORE MAGIC! Dumbledore is on his way to the Ministry, he'll try to solve this. DON'T GIVE YOUR WAND TO THE OFFICERS IF THEY ARRIVE!!! Do everything you can to resist but __**don't use magic.**__ Go to your Aunt's house and stay there!_

_Arthur Weasley_

Harry raised an eyebrow. And how was he supposed not to use magic if he wasn't to give his wand to the officers? He doubted that they'd be very co-operative if he just said 'Sorry, guys. I can't give you my wand. Could you to just leave?' Yeah, right. And pigs flew.

But Dumbledore was going to solve this… A feeble hope flared up in the pit of the youth's stomach. That meant he still had some hope, if Dumbledore only had enough influence back at the monkey's nest.

The youth glanced from the letter to Wormtail and then to Sirius, who was looking at him with a mixture of apprehension and worry swirling in his hands. He managed a feeble smile.

"It- It was Arthur Weasley," Harry said, his voice shaking in the slightest. "He said that Dumbledore is- that he's going to the Ministry to solve this."

"So, you're not expelled?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know," the youth replied, swallowing. "I don't- know… But- But if a guy comes to take my wand I'm- Well, Mr. Weasley said I'm to resist by any means possible. Exclude magic."

Sirius' lips twitched slightly, like he wanted to smile. But then Wormtail squeaked again and the anger returned to the man's face, his eyes burning as he looked down to the lump. "You shut up, pest," he growled.

Wormtail opened his mouth in clear protest and then a yet another owl flew down, dropping a letter to the youth's feet again. Harry swallowed and picked it up, his hands shaking slightly as he opened it carefully.

_Dear Mr. Potter_

_Further to our letter approximately fifteen minutes ago, the Ministry of Magic has revised its decision to decimate your wand forthwith. After newly assessing your case, the Ministry- after hearing Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizadry- has decided that you shall receive a hearing about the events of this evening. Whether or not you'll be expelled shall be decided then also. The hearing shall take place on the twenty first of August, in The Ministry, at 9.00._

_With best wishes,_

_Yours sincerely,_

_Mafalda Hopkirk,_

_Improper Use of Magic Office_

_Ministry of Magic_

Harry finished reading and sighed in relief. He re-read the letter again and the relief got stronger, a small smile on his face as he lifted his eyes to Sirius. But then the look shattered and he looked down to Wormtail, such hatred gleaming in his eyes that the man tried to shrink himself out of the sight of that green fire.

"Thank your Gods, if you have them, traitor", Harry said, disgust filling his tone and eyes. He then turned his gaze to Sirius, who had been looking at him with even more worry. "I'm getting a hearing," the youth said, stuffing the letters to his back-pocket. "I'm not expelled. Yet," he continued.

"Thank Merlin for that," Sirius said, giving Harry a small smile before his eyes drifted down to the messy lump again "And what should we do with this piece of shit then?"

"Any idea how we could cart him to the Ministry?" Harry asked, stuffing his wand to his pocket as well.

Sirius tilted his head, his eyebrow rising ponderingly as he ignored the terrified shrieks erupting from his once-best-friend. "Tonks", he said finally. "She's an Auror and the daughter of a cousin of mine. She'll be more than happy to help."

With that, Sirius raised his hand and shook his sleeve down, revealing a silvery bracelet. He shot Harry a grin and then lifted his wrist before his face, starting to talk. "Come in Scotland, come in Scotland, is this Scotland?"

Before the youth's amazed eyes the bracelet gleamed softly before settling again, a disgruntled voice floating from the piece of jewelry before a clearly sleepy voice answered.

"Sirius Black! If this is your idea of a joke, I swear Ima curse you into next week!"

The annoyed female voice shot straight from Sirius' bracelet and he chuckled lightly, despite the seriousness of the situation. "But dear Nymphadora, oh sweet daughter of my favorite cousin, aren't you on duty? You shouldn't be sleeping. Tut, tut"

"What do you want, you pain in the ass?"

"Come to the park near Harry's house and bring with you a few people that you can absolutely trust" Sirius said, all solemn now.

"What? Is there something wrong with Potter? Honestly, I should've been against of you going to see him. Nothing good can come out of-"

"Tonks!" Sirius said, sounding slightly bored with the lecture he was receiving.

"Yeah, yeah. Gimme five minutes, 'kay?" the woman asked.

"Five," Sirius confirmed before ending the connection.

"Wow, what're those?" Harry asked, his eyes wide. "Convenient little things, huh?"

"I'll explain later." Sirius said, now turning his gaze to Wormtail who was struggling with the ropes as hard as he could. "No use, shit head. You'll get a nice little escort to the Ministry soon enough", he said, eyes as cold as ice and a twisted smile on his lips.

After a few minutes of silence between the two as they ignored the squealing of Wormtail, Harry and Sirius heard few silent pops as four magicians Apparated near them.

"Sirius, what is the meaning of this?" one of yelled immediately. Harry recognized the voice as the one that had answered Sirius.

_This must be Tonks, then. _

Quite the interesting woman, as her hair seemed to change color every few seconds.

Sirius simply pointed to the ground where Wormtail was still struggling and Harry watched as the witch's jaw nearly hit the ground.

_My, what a reaction._

"Is- Is that-"Tonks trailed off.

"Yes, indeed," Harry cut in. "Allow me to introduce; Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail. The betrayer of my parents, among other most charming things," he said his voice dripping venom as he glazed down at the man. Tonks looked startled as she turned towards Harry.

"Harry Potter?" she asked.

"The one and only," Harry said with a bitter smile.

"Now. Cart him to the Ministry and see that he's given to the right persons. Understood, Tonks?"

Sirius' voice was firm and shook Tonks out of her gazing, the woman's eyes rising from the rat-like man lying in front of her.

"Sure thing, Sirius. Count on me," Tonks said.

The woman waved to her peers, all of them casting strong binding spells on the captive without asking questions or being startled about Sirius. Then they just Disapparated with a small pop after Tonks had said with a snort of laughter that the news would be- least to say- _interesting_ on tomorrows Daily Prophet.

Harry just blinked stupidly when it was just the two of them, a warm breeze coursing through the playground again and making the swings creak as he looked at Sirius. All the adrenaline seemed to drain away as he took a step towards his Godfather and stumbled.

"Hey, Harry. You okay?" Sirius asked, taking a hold of the youth's arm to keep him up.

"Yeah, fine," Harry breathed, blinking again as he looked up to the man. "'I'm fine. It's just hard to believe this you know. You'll be free of charges soon and all that. Damn I can't believe this. This is just… Wow. I mean... Wow"

"You do know you said 'wow' at least twice right?" Sirius asked with a light grin before it seemed to sink fully into the man and the grin spread to his face, making his eyes shine. "Wow, I'm gonna be a free lad, Harry. I'm the one who's gonna be- FUCK! I'm gonna be a free man. Wow- This is really- Hell… Is this real?"

"Sirius?" Harry asked, taking a hold of the madly grinning man's arm in turn.

"Yes, Harry?" Sirius said happily.

"Now _you_ are blabbering," the youth stated with a grin on his face.

"I know," Sirius chuckled. "I know, it's just… Wow."

"Stop with the wow now, it's getting old," Harry said with a chuckle of his own, grinning up to his godfather like a goofball

"Merlin, Harry!" Sirius exclaimed, nearly pouncing with joy. And before Harry could even register it he was pulled in a fierce hug that definitely broke a few of his ribs, then spun a large circle. A mass of incoherent thoughts immediately exploded inside his head at the feeling of the man's body against his.

_Wow, this feels good. I'd like to be hugged by Sirius all the time. Man, his body feels so good… Ahh, the muscles. Oo, I can feel his heat too… NO!! Back! Back! Full cancellation! I did NOT just think that! Merlin, what would he think about me?!_

Sirius was actually pondering on the same king of thoughts…

**Oo! He's so skinny! Really, I can feel every bone in his body! Wonder if his ass is as bony too… NO! NO! NO! Backwards! Backwards! Hold your imagination in check, you horny perv! He's 15. Yes, that should be my mantra. No good. NO good. No GOOD!**

They pulled apart when Harry suddenly had a not-so-pleasant thought.

_What time is it? Shit, I'm definitely in deep shit this time. _

"Hey, Harry. What is it?" Sirius asked, worried because of the sudden blankness on the youth's face.

"The Dursley's," Harry nearly groaned. "They're gonna make my life even more of a living Hell because it's so late." The youth scrunched up his face into a grimace that made the man before him laugh.

"Well, I think it's time I meet your charming relatives." Sirius said, grinning widely.

"What?!" Harry exclaimed, his eyes wide. "What d'you mean? You can't come there!" he protested.

"And why not?" Sirius inquired playfully. "I'll be free by the end of the week anyway. Hopefully," continued. "_And_ I want to see your room."

_My room, huh? That should be interesting. Particularly if I can get him to my bed- NO! Wash your brains! Immediately!_

**Oh, gee. Maybe I shouldn't have said it like that. Bad thoughts here! Platonic! Yes. Think platonic, platonic, platonic! Wait, is he smiling?**

Harry snorted. "You really are insane, Sirry-Birry" he said with a chuckle but started to walk towards Privet Drive No. 4 all the same, a bear-sized dog at his side.

Not more than a half an hour later, Harry sighed heavily as he slumped to his bed.

"That bad?" Sirius asked with a mischievous grin as he flopped to the hard mattress as well, sitting next to the youth.

"I'm in an emotional meltdown here," Harry said, feigned hurt audible in his voice and eyes as he looked at the man. "What a rollercoaster. A human isn't supposed to feel this much in just one day."

The youth really, _really_ meant that in more than just one way. It was torturing to have Sirius in his room, sitting inches away from him. His fingers were itching to reach out and touch the man, so he hurriedly tried to find a platonic topic for a conversation to get his mind off some- _compelling_ thoughts.

"I've never seen the Dursley's like that." Harry stated. "There've been wizards here before and then they always acted purely hostile. But now-" The teen couldn't continue because an attack of giggles suddenly hit him. "I mean, did you- did you-" he gasped for air. "Did you see their faces, Sirius? They were too terrified to say a word!"

The youth couldn't continue as he started to laugh loudly, and Sirius soon joined him with his barking-like laughter. They laughed for a long time and barely managed to breath, their eyes filled with tears and their stomachs aching so much they couldn't stand it anymore as they finally succeeded in stifling the mad giggles. In Sirius' case it was with the aid of the teen's blanket and in Harry's his pillow, drawn over his face like he was smothering himself. Sirius slumped next to the teen and tried to catch his breath, clutching onto his stomach and trying to muffle the erratic chuckles still slipping past his lips.

"Merlin, I shouldn't laugh this much," the man groaned, flopping to lie on his stomach. "My stomach is killing me," he mock-whined, turning to face Harry. The first thing he noticed was that the youth was looking at him a bit strangely. "What?" he asked with a laugh.

Harry seemed to come back to Earth. "What, 'what'?"

"You were staring at me," Sirius explained helpfully.

"Was not," Harry said.

_Shit, was I being that visible? I just can't get my eyes off of him. Sirius truly is too handsome for his own good._

"Yes you were. And is that a blush, young man?" Sirius teased.

**Could he look any more adorable? Face a bit blushed, eyes glinting with mirth. And his lips. Oh Merlin, they're just screaming KISS ME right to my face. No! Stop!**

"I'm not _blushing_. You should get your eyes fixed, Paddy," Harry said, trying to cover the shiver in his voice as he took the pillow and whacked the man on the head with it.

Sirius laughed merrily and ducked, managing to snatch the pillow and whack the teen in payback before sitting up. "I'm not the one with glasses here, Sunny Boy," he noted teasingly. "But I've been meaning to ask you. D'you want to get rid of them?"

"My glasses?" Harry asked, shrugging when the man nodded. "Dunno, I've never really thought about it. Is it even possible?"

"Yup yup," Sirius said, all nods and grins again. "I think there's this shop in Diagon Alley that does that kind of thing."

"Seriously?" Harry asked.

The man opened his mouth but before he could say a word, Harry had sent him a death glare and sat up as well. "Don't you dare say it, Sirry-Birry," he threatened, groping around for another pillow.

Sirius just looked at him innocently, pulling a look of complete and utter mock-confusion to his face. "Say what, John?"

"Back to the nickname thing?" Harry asked with a laugh.

"Sure," Sirius said, grinning. "Thought I forgot about it, didn't you? I'm not that easily distracted, Jacky."

"At least they're normal names," Harry said with a small sigh. "Thank Merlin for that."

"Let me see your presents, Willie," Sirius ordered, taking a comfortable position on the bed. "I want to see what the others got you."

Harry laughed and hopped down from his bed, squirming under his bed slightly to prize the loose floorboard off so that he could dig out the presents. He dumped the load on the man's lap who laughed jinglingly before laying his hands to the first present.

Sirius spent a good hour commenting and examining the teen's gifts, but didn't miss the sight of him yawning when the clock had already sprung past midnight with fanfares.

"Sorry," Harry said after another big yawn, ruffling his hair slightly as he stretched. "It's just not every day that you catch some Death Eater lurking in your neighborhood. What _was_ the rat doing here in the first place anyway? I mean, we caught him so easily."

"Petey-boy was always dumb, Harry," Sirius said with a shrug as he took out his wand and charmed the gifts back to the space under the teen's bed. "Now his brains must resemble a rock. The same IQ."

Harry chuckled. Then he glanced at Sirius, his eyes widening like he'd suddenly realized something. "Are you going to stay here for the night?" he asked nearly cautiously.

Sirius tilted his head, a mischievous grin sneaking to his face. "Why, surely," he stated. "Do you mind?"

Harry just shook his head, standing up from the floor as Sirius slipped from the bed. The youth changed to his pajamas as fast as he could without making it look hasty, more aware than he'd have appreciated of Sirius' presence, even if the man _was_ leaning to his desk and looking out from the window.

The teen slipped under the covers and was soon accompanied by a large dog that nuzzled to his side, radiating heat.

"Hey, Sirius. What're you doing?"

Puppy eyes were his only answer as Harry looked at the dog, the big black head tilting to the side slightly as a tail slammed against the teen's legs. He chuckled softly and shook his head, amused.

It didn't take Harry that long to drift into dreamland, his arm lightly around the huge dog's middle and the hope that he would have only normal dreams tonight in his mind.

At some point during the night Sirius woke up, startled awake by the pained moans echoing in his ears and nearly vibrating against his back.

At first he was disoriented, not recognizing the moonlight room nor the bed he was in. Then it all flooded back as he turned his head and saw Harry right beside him. He understood he was a dog and- as if that had somehow triggered the flood of memories, it all came back to him. The park, Wormtail, Tonks, everything.

The memories withdrew as Sirius looked at Harry and returned to his human form.

The teen was tossing on the bed, a pained expression etched on his face as he nearly kicked the wall, then got close to Sirius again, then withdrew again. The man heard low, whispered words and when he leaned closer he could make out some of them, sadness drilling its claws into him.

"Don't, please," Harry whispered, his head digging into the pillow. "Don't kill 'im, I know it's my fault so don't…"

Sirius swallowed and- without thinking- he pulled the teen into his arms. He could feel Harry's body twisting against him, soft moans and whimpers echoing in his ears as he started to carefully caress the quivering back and murmur nonsense into the teen's ear.

Slowly, the boy in his arms stopped trembling. For a second or two quietness engulfed the room in its soft grasps before an arm slipped over Sirius' waist and Harry was moving closer in his dream, nuzzling against the man's chest. Sirius took in a short breath, closing his eyes to try to keep his tired and overeager imagination in check. Instinctively, his hold on the teen tightened.

* * *

**A.N/ **And the next chapter is done. Now I'm waiting for those reviews ;)

If you don't review, I'll turn this into a Snape/Mrs. Weasley fic so fast you don't know what hit you!

Thanks *bows and leaves the stage from back left*


	3. Chapter 3

_Harry thinking_

**Sirius thinking**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Harry woke up in the morning to a persistent tapping outside his window. He blinked like an owl before on putting his glasses and only then he realized that his movements were oddly restricted. Harry turned and found to his terror -or delight, depends how one thought about it- that he was nearly nose to nose with Sirius. And that Sirius' arm, which was currently wrapped around Harry's waist, was the reason to his limited movements. Harry didn't want to move an inch from his lovable spot but the owl bringing the Daily Prophet seemed to disagree, because it started to tap even louder on the window.

Harry sighed heavily and left his suddenly paradise-like bed to let the owl in and pay it.

He then sat carefully on the bed, not wanting to wake Sirius. For a moment Harry just gazed at him.

_A God._

That was the best way to describe Sirius in Harry's opinion. He just looked perfect. Sirius had gained weight and didn't look like a walking skeleton anymore. His cheeks weren't sunk, and the whole man had started to look remarkably like the one in Harry's parents' wedding photograph. It was nearly too much for Harry to take. Not to mention that the cons heavily outlasted the pros in Harry's mind about liking Sirius in that way. Thank Merlin he had only had civil dreams last night, if you counted out the nightly nightmare about the graveyard. It might've been quite hard to explain to Sirius why his godson had an aching morning glory. Well, that and the fact that Sirius most probably would've tormented Harry for the rest of his life about it, never letting him forget.

Harry's pondering was interrupted when the subject of such action stirred and opened one eye.

"Mornin'," Sirius muttered, stretching. "What time is it?" A huge yawn followed the question before Sirius peered out of the window.

"7 o'clock," Harry replied. Sirius made a disgruntled noise and looked at Harry murderously.

"What the hell are you doing up at this godforsaken hour, Jacky? Normal people _sleep_ on their holiday."

Harry waved the Paper. "The owl came," he said.

Harry's eyes suddenly widened and he nearly tore the paper as he unfolded it and looked at the front page. Sirius didn't even need to see it, he could tell from Harry's face that the news were highly pleasant. He still heaved himself up into an upright position and moved behind Harry's back, leaning his chin against Harry's shoulder and reading form there. Sirius tried very hard not to look at Harry's neck and think how it would feel like under his mouth and tongue. After mentally kicking himself, Sirius turned his full attention to the front page of The Daily Prophet.

ESCAPED MASS-MURDERER CONVICT SIRIUS BLACK PROVEN INNOCENT!, the headline screamed. Sirius snorted. Trust the Prophet to have a true way with words. And they just _had_ to rub it in that he was a 'mass-murderer convict' even if proven innocent. There was a huge picture of him covering the front page, the same one that had plastered every surface when Sirius had managed to escape the Hell some called Azkaban. Harry turned his gaze to the bottom of the page and started to read a small review about the article.

It was mainly about how the four Aurors had went to the Ministry with Pettigrew and after a lot of wand wrestling and Veritaserum gotten him a full and honest trial with people that weren't like Fudge in their beliefs.

Sirius and Harry scanned the paper and learned that Sirius indeed was a free man now. All the charges had been cleared and Wormtail had received the kiss and was in Azkaban for as long as he would live.

Harry lifted his gaze and looked at Sirius who still seemed to be reading. Sirius then looked Harry in the eye and smiled so brightly that Harry had to blink a few times.

"Wow," was all that Sirius whispered. It was still sinking in. He was free. He really could walk on the streets now without being scared of being arrested.

"That was really... _quick_," Harry said, a smile spreading across his face. "I thought it would take longer. I mean, the trial, the decisions… Not that I'm not happy with this," he hurried to insure.

Sirius just smiled goofily and wrapped his arms around Harry. They didn't even hear the footsteps before Aunt Petunia had burst through the door and stopped dead in her tracks as he saw the scene in front of her. Petunia pursed her lips as he saw Sirius' arms around Harry and a goofy grin on both of their faces.

"Bo- Harry!" She snapped. Harry turned his head to look at his aunt, still looking unbearably happy. Remembering who exactly Sirius was, she didn't say what she meant to.

"Breakfast in fifteen minutes." Petunia turned around and slammed the door shut behind her. Apparently she wasn't so afraid of Sirius any more, because she was acting nearly as cold as before.

"Well then," Sirius said and rounded Harry to get of the bed. "I think I'd better get going then. Lots of things to do now, what with being a free man and all."

Harry laughed before getting up too. He hugged Sirius tightly while keeping his imagination at bay as much as he could.

"See ya," Harry whispered to Sirius's chest.

"See ya, Harry. I'll come to pick you up soon," Sirius promised.

"How soon?"

Sirius chuckled. "Real soon." He disengaged himself from Harry's arms and gave him quick peck to his hair before Disapparating.

Harry was left gaping and slowly a deep blush made its way to his face.

_Holy shit. I'm dead! And that was just a peck on my hair! I don't even want to know what it would be like, closer to my lips… Hmmph, 'course I wanna know. That's settled. I'm dead. Okay, really should stop thinking about this right about now. _

Regardless of his mind's screams Harry to stop right this second, his legs seemed to have a will of their own as Harry found himself locking the door and climbing back to his bed. It smelled a bit like Sirius and didn't at all help the fact that he was achingly hard- once again- because of Sirius. As he ground his hips a bit against the bed he couldn't help but moan just a little. It just felt so good. He couldn't stop his hand from going under his pyjama pants and stroke himself. Just that little move earned a groan that Harry had to muffle to his pillow.

_Oh Gods, this is too good. I'm so screwed when I see Sirius the next time. _

Those were the last coherent thoughts Harry had in a while as he drew the pleasure out of himself, fighting and failing not to think that it was Sirius doing it to him.

Harry spent the next days wondering around, after writing a novel to all of his friends who had asked about the Daily Prophet article. He was anxiously waiting a word from Sirius as to when he was going to get away from this hell-hole, all the while trying not to think about what he had done the day that Sirius had left. He still felt a little embarrassed when he thought about it. Harry'd sworn to himself that he'd never come thinking about Sirius. Total failure.

Finally the day came when Harry's waiting was awarded. He was lying on his bed that still smelled a bit like Sirius, when he heard Hedwig coming back with a letter tied to her leg. Pouncing to meet his owl, Harry untied the parchment and read the short letter.

_Well hello, Jacky,_

_And how might you be? What? Gaunt because of the fact that I'm not there? Why, I must say that I'm quite flattered, although that great torture shall end tonight! Yes, you can indeed trust your eyes Jackins! I'm coming to your rescue! Be ready, now won't cha? Tell your relatives teary goodbyes as I'm sure that I'll have to drag you out of there with a choke._

_See ya! _

_Sirius _

It was a bit odd to see that Sirius had signed the letter with his own name, instead of the usual Snuffles that Harry was so used to, but this was much better. More than that, he was leaving tonight!

For the next hour or so, Harry gathered his belongings to his old trunk, almost running around the room in haste to be absolutely ready when Sirius would come for him. When Harry was almost ready, an idea struck him.

He. Sirius. Probably under the same roof. For the rest of the summer.

_Oh God, I'm SO dead! _Harry thought and twisted the sock in his hand._ I can't handle this! I'm sure I'll burst it out at some point. And if not, well. I don't think that Sirius was a Marauder for nothing. I think he'll figure I have a crush on him after the first ten minutes._

Harry was starting to panic at this point. He was NOT going to ruin his relationship with Sirius for something like this! Harry's thinking was cut by a shout from downstairs.

"Boy!" It was his Uncle Vernon.

Deciding that he could as well tell them now that he was leaving, Harry made his way downstairs. But it so happened he didn't have to. Sirius was in the living room.

Harry couldn't help himself. He lunged towards Sirius and nearly threw his godfather off-balance. The man chuckled quietly.

"Good to see you too," Sirius whispered. Then he straightened and gave Harry a mock-scolding glare. "My, my. No manners at all. And here I thought you followed my advice and gave your relatives a tear filled goodbye. And now I find to my horror that you haven't even told them you're leaving. I'm hurt, truly."

Harry tried his best to hold back his laughter when he saw Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia both looking like they didn't know if Sirius was joking or not.

"My things are in my room," Harry said as soon as he had calmed down enough to keep his voice even. And judging by the glint in Sirius's eyes, it hadn't missed him that Harry had nearly exploded from held back laughter.

"Aye, cap'n," Sirius said. "I'll go ge' 'em and then we'll go". He walked to the hall and jumped up the stairs three at a time.

As soon as Vernon was sure the lunatic was upstairs he exploded at Harry, keeping his voice as low as possible.

"What in the bloody hell is going on? That lunatic bursts in here and-"

"Oy," Harry said. This shut his Uncle up efficiently. "Sirius is not crazy, and I think you'll be grateful to him in a few seconds."

"And why would I be grateful for some- some freak like yourself?

"Because said_ freak,_" Harry's voice was filled with mockery when he said that word "Is taking _this_ freak-" Harry pointed at himself "-out of this house for at least the end of this summer. Hopefully I'll never have to return here again."

Sirius came down when Harry was finished, levitating Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage in front of him.

"Ready?" Sirius asked when he came to the living room. "Done with the teary goodbyes?"

As Harry rolled his eyes, Vernon was looking at this lunatic convict in front of him with new eyes. He would rid them of this nuisance. Maybe permanently. Good, good. He looked as the other man waved the stick in his hand, making the freak's disgusting belongings disappear into thin air. With a small smirk on his face he watched as the freak was pulled close to the other man and then they too were, puff, gone. Vernon Dursley had never liked magic this much. So easily gone. Good riddance to that pest.

Harry could read his Uncle like an open book. The man was nearly pouncing at the idea of getting him out of the house. Then he felt Sirius' hand on his arm, pulling him closer.

_Oh, shit. NO, NO, NO! Platonic, platonic. A platonic touch, nothing more! NO need to feel like his arm is burning through your shirt!_

"Hold on tight," Sirius said with a little smile. Harry had barely nodded when he felt Sirius being sucked away and tightened his grip around the other man's wrist.

It was like being blown through an itsy-bitsy pipe. Harry was squeezed so tight he could barely even think. The air had long left his lungs and he was about to acept the fact that he'd die by suffocation when it was all over. Clear summer air filled his lungs as he gasped for air.

Apparated. Harry had just Apparated for the first time in his life. Well, Side-along Apparation, but who gave a shit. And he'd definitely decided that he didn't like it.

"You okay there, Harry?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, just need to- catch- my breath. Never- Apparated before."

"Liked it?"

"Not really."

Sirius laughed. "Me neither, but it's the fastest way, unfortunately, because I couldn't floo you to GP."

"GP?"

"My house. Or, the Black family house, actually." The bitterness was audible in Sirius' voice. "I'll explain once we get inside. Come on."

Only then did Harry realize that they were on a small alley between two houses. He followed Sirius to the street and they turned left. They walked a few minutes before Sirius stopped between two houses. There was nothing there. At least to Harry's eyes there wasn't. Just a small splotch of grass between the houses.

"We're here," Sirius announced.

Harry was just about to ask what Sirius meant by that when he saw a door appearing out of nowhere above the grass. He then looked in awe as a house appeared between the two others, pushing them away. Sirius stepped the few steps to the door and opened it. All Harry could see was a dimly lit hallway.

Sirius led Harry in and closed the door. Several clicks and taps could be heard as the door locked itself. Harry gazed around, speechless. _Snakes_. That was the first thing that he registered in the house. The chandelier was formed into many snakes, there was a rack which was carved to look like snakes, and the visible part of the banister which ran along the stairs looked like hundreds of snakes had curled around it.

Harry turned and was about to ask Sirius but the older man put a finger to his lips and led Harry down the hall and down the stairs. Behind the door at the bottom was what looked like a kitchen. Sirius closed the door and sighed in relief.

"Sirius, what is this?" Harry asked.

Sirius gestured Harry to sit at the table while he picked two butterbeers and handed the other one to Harry. He then sat on the other side of the table, stretched his long legs to the table and tilted the chair back to its rear legs.

"I told you, this is my parents' house," the man said. "And since I'm the last Black alive, it's now mine. Not a pleasure, I can tell you." Sirius grimaced. "You'll just have to bear with it 'til I find a proper house and we can move in there."

"Oh, I think I can bear about any house as long as it doesn't have the words Privet, Drive or four in its address plate." Harry said, taking a sip of his butterbeer.

"I can assure you, this house only has Grimmauld, Place and twelve," Sirius said. "Although my parents were Dark-fanatics so-"

"Sirius, I don't care what your parents were. As long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter to me what kind of a house this is. You can protect me, right?" Harry said with a wink and nearly blushed at what he had just said.

_Damn, could I be any more transparent? 'As long as I'm with you'. Why didn't I just slash my eyelids as well and went to lie on the table provocatively? Stupid, Stupid, STUPID!_

Sirius was quiet for a while and then a small smile came to his lips. "Sure. Want me to carry you to your room, Your Highness?" He grinned. "Just so you won't hurt your precious legs on the evil excuse of a staircase." He nearly managed to keep his smirk from widening but couldn't help it at seeing the look on Harry's face.

Harry sipped the rest of his beer and remembered something. "Oh yeah. Why were you so quiet in the hall?"

"Ahh, that. You see my mother, in her infinite wisdom, got her portrait painted and placed in the hall. Terrible hag, "Sirius said quite cheerfully. "The only problem is that I can't get her down from the wall and if she wakes up she starts screaming at anyone she sees. It gives me a hell of a headache and it takes ages to get her behind the curtain again so I just pass that spot as quietly as possible."

"Have you tried a silencing charm or a deafening charm so that she wouldn't hear you?"

Sirius looked at Harry for a while, mouth hanging slightly ajar.

"What?" Harry asked, frowning.

_Did I say something funny?_

Without a word the man got up and went for the door. After a few seconds Harry followed him,.

The teen heard a woman scream and his heart missed a beat. Before he even knew it, he'd ran to the ground floor to see Sirius standing in front of a painting that was shrieking at him from the bottom of her lungs.

"_TRAITOR! THE SHAME OF MY FLESH! HOW DARE YOU COME HERE? YOU-"_

Mrs. Black was cut off when Sirius pointed his wand at the painting and muttered a silencing charm, quickly followed by a deafening one. Harry gingerly went to stand next to the man and looked up at the painting. The subject was an elderly woman sitting on an antique-looking chair, wearing a black dress and a hairpiece. Her hair was black but it only made her look immensely pale because she was almost anaemic and the skin on her face was tightened across her facial-bones, making her look like a skeleton. A mad glint gleamed in her eyes that widened when she saw Harry. Mrs. Black started to shout but no sound was heard. Sirius grinned victoriously and started to pull the curtains shut.

"Want to take a look upstairs, Sunny boy?" he asked with a pleased smile.

"Why not, _Siri_," Harry said. "By the way, I'm a genius, aren't I?"

"I am ready to admit that you sometimes say something worth of listening," the man grinned.

Harry tried to smack him in the head but his godfather dodged with a laugh.

They made their way upstairs, Sirius showing the rooms and explaining a bit about the house.

"It's filthy as hell but I doubt there's a better protected place in the whole country. Well, apart from Gringotts and Hogwarts, maybe. My father was so paranoid he put up all kinds of wards, curses, jinxes and hexes around the house. It's unplottable and Merlin only knows what other things. There's a house-elf somewhere in here, too."

They reached the fourth floor and Sirius turned around.

"My room's over there," he said, pointing right, down the hall to the last door on the right. "You can have this one, if you want." Sirius gestured towards the other door on the landing, next to his own room. They were the only rooms in this floor. "There _are_ bedrooms on the two floors below, though, but I just thought that-"

"I want it."

"Good then. I was just thinking if you wanted a room closer to the kitchen," Sirius said with a wink.

"I'm not a pig, unlike someone else in here. I don't think with my stomach either," Harry said with a grin.

"No need to get offensive here. I'm just trying to be considerate." Sirius pouted before showing Harry the inside of his new room.

The following days went in a blur as Harry and Sirius tidied the house and tried to keep their minds in check. Although they both found it quite hard, considering that cleaning meant exercise. And exercise meant sweaty bodies. And sweaty bodies meant no shirts-line. This all led to the fact that when Harry and Sirius in the evenings slumped to their respective beds, they were both resisting the urge to come thinking the other. And_ this _led to _long_ evening showers for both of them. Lucky for them they had their own bathrooms. Harry had long ago come to the conclusion that should he share a bathroom with Sirius, he'd either be a nerve wreck by now or had conveyed his feelings.

A week after Harry's move to live with his godfather found both of them in the kitchen. The cleaning had finally come to an end, leaving a very clean house and Harry's surprising friendship with Kreacher, the house-elf, behind.

Harry had been cleaning in the living room on the second floor a few days back when he'd suddenly noticed that he had company. He had looked down and seen a house-elf near his legs, looking up at him- or, in particular, the golden locket which he had in his hand.

"Hello," Harry had said, smiling.

The elf didn't take notice of his words but kept staring at the locket. The teen crouched to bring himself to the same level as the elf. Only then did he look at Harry.

In Harry's opinion, the elf looked a bit like Winky. Its ears were bat-like and he had a nose that resembled a pen. The eyes were almost silver and now looked at Harry with great intensity, if not a bit madly.

"What's your name?" Harry asked when the creature did nothing but stare at him. The house-elf's eyes widened and he looked shaken. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

The elf just shook his head in disbelief before croaking: "Kreacher has never- _ever_- been asked if he's okay. Kreacher must wonder if this wizard is all right in the head. Why else would he be talking with Kreacher and... "

Harry watched the house-elf Kreacher talk to himself like he didn't even realize that he could be heard.

"I'm perfectly alright... Kreacher," he said, making the elf pay attention to him. "I really was just worried. Aren't you treated nicely here?"

"No, Kreacher is not," the elf said, and then promptly ran to the wall.

When he bounced back, Harry grabbed the thin wrist to prevent him from hurting himself any more.

"And who might you be, if I may inquire, young sir?" Kreacher asked a bit dizzily, his eyes watery with pain.

"Harry Potter," Harry answered and the elf paled visibly.

"Harry Potter!" Kreacher murmured. "The destroyer of He-who-must-not-be-named! But what is Harry Potter doing in this house that is so Dark that it's seeping through the walls, Kreacher wonders." His eyes widened and Harry had to quickly grab the other thin wrist to prevent the elf from throwing himself to the ground and banging his head against it.

"I live here with Sirius." Harry said. "And I'm sure that if you ask him, you can badmouth this family as much as you want to."

"No, Kreacher couldn't do that, Mr. Harry Potter! Kreacher couldn't-"

"I'm sure you could and do call me Harry, okay Kreacher?"

The old elf seemed to be shocked beyond words. He trembled visibly when Harry called for Sirius who was just passing the room. As Sirius came through the door, the elf was trembling viciously. Sirius Black. The center of the Black family tragedy. Kreacher had tried his best to avoid dear Master Black during his stay because he knew his presence would only bring back bad memories.

"What is it, Harry?" Sirius asked, noticing that the boy was sitting on the floor.

"Tell Kreacher here that it can badmouth your family as much as he wants."

Sirius came closer and leaned in slightly to see in front of his godson. Kreacher was trembling from head to toe and he looked so miserable and terrified that the man couldn't help pitying him a little, no matter how dark the memories were. "Kreacher?" he said.

"Yes, Master?" the elf asked, bowing so deep his nose squashed against the floor.

"Feel free to say whatever comes to your mind about this family. And I forbid you to punish yourself over saying something about this family you think is insulting. Understood?"

"Ye-yes, Master," Kreacher said, still trembling. Sirius nodded and then went back to the corridor where he was trying to coax the spiders from the chandelier.

"There. I told you, Kreacher." Harry said kindly." By the way, do you want this?" He pointed to the locket now lying on the ground.

Kreacher's eyes filled with tears. "Mr. Po- Harry, sir," he corrected hastily, stuttering heavily over such a familiar name. "Is very- very kind indeed, but Kreacher could never- never take-" He got cut off when Harry picked up the locket and placed it firmly into the tiny palm.

Now Kreacher really burst into tears and sobbed loudly.

"Where do you sleep?" Harry asked, raising his voice to be heard over the elf's crying.

"Kre- Kreacher liv- lives in the kitchen, H-Harry, sir. Under the hot water stove."

"I see. Okay, Kreacher. Anything else in here you'd like?"

"No. Kreacher hates this whole house!" The house-elf paled and Harry had to stop him from punishing himself again. It seemed to be a habit deeply within the elf.

The quality of their meals had improved dramatically when Kreacher had started making them; his cooking skills seemed to be on par with a French chef and Harry and Sirius never left the table with only a half-full stomach. Kreacher had also helped them get rid of most of the things in the house, being as eager to see them gone as Harry and Sirius.

Now Harry and Sirius waited for yet another delicious breakfast. It arrived in the form of a full English Breakfast.

"Here you go, Master Sirius, Harry, sir." Kreacher's croaking voice drifted happily from under the enormous tray carrying their plates. "Master Sirius's favorite Breakfast for his birthday!"

Sirius sighed, but still looked pleased. "How many times do I have to tell you to drop the Master?" he asked. "It really rubs me the wrong way."

"Kreacher will try to remember," Kreacher said, giving the same answer as always when they went through this conversation.

"Your birthday is today?" Harry asked, surprised. "You should've told me!"

"Nah, no biggy." Sirius shrugged and attacked his plate.

When they were done Harry rose from his chair and said: "Get coming then" to Sirius.

"What?"

"We're going out."

"Why?"

"To celebrate your birthday, of course!"

"Harry, you don't have to."

"But I _want _to. Now come on."

Sirius rose from his chair reluctantly and Harry all but dragged him up the stairs and onto the landing on the fourth floor.

"Now. Change into something more fun. I give you five minutes and then we're off," Harry said firmly and shoved Sirius into his room. Then he turned and made his way to his own room to change as well.

Harry chose to wear his jeans and the black t-shirt that had _Metallica_'s logo in the front. He then decided that the five minutes were up and went to harass Sirius. "Come out then, Sirry-Birry!" he exclaimed, knocking on the door. "We're leaving right this second!"

For a moment nothing happened and Harry was just about to bang on the door some more when it opened and Sirius walked out. The teen had to be careful not to dislocate his jaw; Sirius had decided to wear his worn-out blue jeans and a black dress shirt. He had a necklace and his hair was pulled into a loose ponytail, leaving a few wisps to frame his face. In Harry's very humble- and biased at that- opinion, Sirius looked sinfully handsome.

"Aren't we going then?" the man asked and raised an eyebrow with a rather wicked-looking grin.

Harry nodded with a huge grin and they made their way downstairs and put their jackets on. Sirius's was a leather jacket and Harry's just quite ordinary.

"If Master Sirius and Harry, sir, could come back before four, please," Kreacher said, bowing as he hurried from the kitchen. "Kreacher tries to prepare the dinner for four."

"No problem, Kreacher. Thanks," Sirius said and then they left. "So, what'll we do?" he continued as they stepped to the street and the the house disappeared behind them.

Harry bit his lip and looked almost too cute for Sirius to handle.

**Behave! Behave! No pervy thoughts here! Bad! Bad! **

Harry pondered for a while before a smile made its way to his face. "How about going to London? Since I can't Apparate we can't really go that far and-"

"Fine by me."

"Really? I mean, if you don't want to go-"

"Harrykins, zip it. I'd love to go to London with you."

Harry smiled and they started to walk towards the nearest Underground Station.

That day ranked in the top of Sirius's brilliant day-meter. They wandered through London and visited thousands of shops. It didn't bother him in the slightest that they gathered looks. He was so enthralled by Harry that he barely paid any attention to what they were actually doing.

Too soon it was time for them to head back to Grimmauld Place, moneybags remarkably lightened and both carrying at least five bags, to enjoy a five star dinner.

* * *

**A.N **And on we go, whoooo!


	4. Chapter 4

Okay! I give in! You're all just too wonderful to me! Not a single bad review yet! But really? 83 read and only 6 bothered to review? Pweetty please! Review! It means a lot to me if you can spare some of your time and write a few lines!

Okay. So, answering the reviews:

**Death1991**: You'll see a threat at the end of this one. Hope you like it! ;)

F. : Thanks! I'm really glad you've liked the story so far!

**Dysdaiomona: **Glad you love it. I'm trying my humble best *bows*

**Torchwood Prof.: **Thank you, Thank you! Makes the world go around?! I nearly fainted when I read that! *blushes from embarrassment* Yes, yes, they'll turn up soon. In the next chapter, actually ;)

Oh yeah! A bit of a heads up on this chap. There'll be some ahem-content so if that bothers you, SHOOO!!!! No need to stay here any longer! Pack your bags and take the train that goes to the opposite direction!

And now to the disclaimer. Siri, it's all yours.

Sirius: Okay. I own myself and Harry of course. But Sunny Boy just doesn't know it yet so don't you dare to tell *shush!!!*

Harry: Don't listen to him. He's gonna drink a bit too much Firewhiskey soon so his braincells are distroyed. The pretty lady in England still owns us both, no matter what the drunkard says.

Dowash: Sorry, boys. I'd like to own you!

* * *

"Now, then," Sirius said after they had eaten. "My turn to come up with an activity." He winked and walked to one of the cupboards and pulled out a bottle of Firewhiskey. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a minor, you know. Not allowed to drink. Heard about that, hmm?"

Sirius snorted. "I think you can handle a sip."

"Mrs. Weasley is going to kill you. Along with Professor Lupin. You know that, right?"

"What they don't know can't hurt them," Sirius said cheerfully as he strolled to the kitchen door. "Of course if you're afraid of breaking the rules…," he winked.

This time it was Harry's time to snort.

"Why, surely."

Harry made his way up and followed Sirius to the second floor into the living room.

Harry sat on the couch, and Sirius sat in front of him, a coffee table between them. They both crossed their legs and Sirius opened the bottle, taking the first sip. He made an appreciative sound as the liquid burned its way to his stomach. He then laid the bottle on the table, from where Harry picked it up after a few seconds and took a sip himself.

The liquid tasted good as long as Harry kept it in his mouth, but when he swallowed it, he realized why it was called _Fire_whiskey. Burning. As the fluid slowly poured down Harry's throat, it felt like it was on fire. When it had reached Harry's stomach, he was gasping and gulping.

"Strong?"

Harry barely heard Sirius' amused voice. He could only nod shakily.

Harry was only able to release his grip from the bottle after several minutes, placing it on the table. Once the burning was over, Harry felt a comfortable warmth in the bottom of his stomach and suddenly his mood turned from cheerful to Cheerful. A goofy smirk made its way to Harry's face as he looked at his Godfather.

"This stuff is good." Harry said, still smiling like mad. Sirius felt a same kind of smile etched on his own face as he nodded.

"Yup."

During the hours to follow Harry and Sirius talked nearly about everything between the land and the skies. At some point their conversation turned to kissing. If asked from either of them, they would've said they had no idea how it came to that. Almost all of the Firewhiskey was gone, the coffee table had vanished somewhere to their side and Harry was sitting on the floor too, back leaning against the sofa. His thighs were under Sirius legs as the older man was sitting nearly between Harry's knees, his legs tossed over Harry's legs.

"So," Harry said, slurring just in the slightest. "Are they all the same? Kisses, I mean."

Sirius took a long sip from the bottle and then offered it to Harry.

"Well, of course they are a bit different every time. You can kiss someone on the cheek, forehead, hand… The chances are many, m'boy." Sirius said, smirking. From his voice one could never guess that Sirius had emptied nearly half a bottle of Firewhiskey.

"Ha ha." Harry said and smacked Sirius lightly in the upper arm. "I meant a _real_ kiss."

"Define a _real_ kiss, Sunny boy," Sirius teased.

"You know, on the lips, all that."

"Ahh, _that_. Well, you came to the right doctor. No use asking Remus. He knows practically nothing about these things."

"Kinda figured," Harry muttered with a faint smile.

"You've never kissed anyone?" As Harry shook his head, eyes cast down, Sirius continued." Well, don't feel bad about it. You'll do it when you're ready. Oh my God, did you just hear that? I was talking like Remus. I think I'll faint now." Sirius saw that Harry smiled a bit at this. Good. Mission; Make Harry Smile had worked.

"What to you want to know?"

"I'm not sure. Just- I don't want to look like an idiot when I- you know- kiss someone for the first time."

_Yeah, right._

Harry was sure it was because of the Firewhiskey. Nothing else could've had him to have this conversation with Sirius. Especially when it was _Sirius_ that Harry wanted his first kiss to be with.

"Then technique it is. This, too, depends on the kiss," Sirius started to explain, not embarrassed in the slightest. He could have been talking about the weather, if judging by his tone. And Harry was grateful for that. He was feeling ridiculous as it was, even if he was drunk.

"If it's just a peck on the lips it really doesn't matter how you do it," Sirius sipped from the bottle again. "But if we're talking about kiss that's more intimate, well…"

Sirius seemed to think for a while before continuing.

"You could start with caressing the others face with your hand. Just with the fingertips. Then slid your hand in to the woman's hair and pull her closer-"

Here Harry interrupted Sirius.

"A man."

"Huh?"

"If I kiss someone I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a male." Harry had no idea why he said it.

_Shit, why did I say it like that?! I didn't mean to tell him! At least not now! Great, now he's staring at me. Yippee! Probably thinking of a good retreating plan. FUCK!!_

**Did he just say what I think he said? No, probably not. The whiskey is making me hear things. Yep. That's it. Let's resume.**

"Yeah, well, no matter which sex. On we go. So you pull him closer, keeping your eyes on the others lips until your just a few inches apart. And then you just go with the feeling. Got it?"

Apparently not. Harry was gazing to the floor, looking like he was thinking something very hard.

_He just continued. Does it mean he doesn't have a problem with me being gay? God, I hope so! I couldn't stand it if he hated me. Wait what did he just say? Shit, I wasn't listening. Hope he doesn't notice…_

Not so lucky. When Harry lifted his gaze, Sirius was looking at him expectantly. Apparently he'd asked something. Harry tortured his brain and was able to pull the question out of the mist that claimed to be his memory at this point.

"Not really," Harry said apologetically, a small smile on his face. Sirius sighed mock-hurt.

"And here I'm trying my best to explain on simple terms. Well, no better explaining than that of example."

Sirius reached out his and placed his palm on Harry's cheek. He noticed Harry's eyes widen a bit and said with a lopsided smirk, "You'll learn faster like this, believe me. And I'm not really gonna kiss you."

"So, this is phase one. Hand on the cheek. Then number two-" Sirius slid his hand in Harry's hair, trying hard not to think how soft it felt,"-three-" Sirius pulled Harry closer until their faces were inches apart "-and then comes four." Sirius finished, now whispering because they were so close.

What happened next surprised them both.

Harry had for a while already felt Sirius' legs against his own, burning his skin through the fabric, and when the other man leaned closer, demonstrating what he had just said, Harry just couldn't stop himself. Sirius was so close… With a sudden daring that must have come from the alcohol, Harry pressed his lips against Sirius'. He tasted like Firewhiskey and coffee.

Sirius was completely shocked when he saw Harry suddenly lean forwards and press his lips against Sirius' own. Harry tasted like Firewhiskey and underneath there was the stunning hint of strawberries. As Sirius' hand was already in Harry's hair, he took full advantage, pulling Harry even closer and putting more force to the kiss.

Suddenly Harry jerked his head backwards and looked horrified.

"Oh, Merlin! Sirius, I'm so sorry!"

Harry had managed to disentangle himself from Sirius and run to the door before Sirius fully registered his actions.

"Harry!" Sirius said and stood up.

Harry all but ran the stairs up, hearing Sirius calling him.

_What the hell is wrong with me? How could I just do that to Sirius?! It felt good, though… NO! How could I-_

Harry's cogitating was interrupted as he reached his door. He was going to stay there for the rest of his miserable life. Yes, that was a good idea. Unfortunately there was a hand holding his upper arm in a firm grip, making his plans pretty much pointless.

"Harry, look at me."

Harry just stared at the door, not wanting to meet Sirius' eyes that he was sure were filled with disgust.

"Harry."

The hand gripping Harry's arm forced him to turn around.

"Harry, look at me," Sirius said again. When Harry stubbornly kept his gaze somewhere in the middle of the opposite wall Sirius let go of his arm and put his hand under Harry's chin, lifting it, forcing the young wizard to look Sirius in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Sirius. I shouldn't have done it. I don't know what got into me-"

"Quiet, Harrykins," Sirius said.

"But-"

"No buts. I'm not upset because you kissed me," Sirius said. Harry's eyes widened.

_Did he just-_

"But I'm really sorry for this," Sirius muttered before releasing Harry's chin and caressing his hair. Sirius saw a small flicker in Harry's eyes before he locked his lips with Harry's.

Harry thought he was going to pass out when he felt Sirius' lips crushing with bruising force against his own. Then all of his coherent thoughts were blown away as he felt Sirius licking his lower lip. Without hesitating Harry opened his lips, allowing Sirius' tongue to slip into his mouth.

Harry moaned as he felt Sirius' tongue massaging his own before it traveled to explore every bit of his mouth. Harry sneaked his hands around Sirius' neck, pulling the man even closer.

Their salvias mixed as Sirius withdrew from Harry's mouth, inviting Harry's tongue to peruse his own mouth. They surely would have continued like this for a long while, but, alas, one must breathe once in a while, no matter how enjoyable the activity.

As they pulled apart to catch their breaths, the only thing that kept Harry standing was the fact that Sirius had him pinned to the door. As Harry still tried to catch his breath and order his thoughts into something understandable, Sirius suddenly pulled away. Harry swayed and kept a standing position only by grabbing the door frame. His legs felt like jelly.

"Wha-?" Harry gasped.

Sirius had flung his hands into his hair and was leaning heavily on the opposite wall.

"We can't do this, Harry," he said.

"The hell? Why not?!"

Sirius laughed bitterly.

"Why not?! 1) I'm twenty years older than you, 2) I'm your Godfather, 3) Lily and James made me your guardian, which means I'm not supposed to want to fuck your brains out, 4) no one would approve, 5) it'd be one Hell of a media circus, should they find out. Do you _need_ any more reasons?!"

Only one thing mattered to Harry in that sentence. He'd gone through all the others inside his head for the past two and a half years. But- Sirius wanted to fuck his brains out?! This made Harry's legs turn more into a giant load of jelly. He could hardly stand, even with the support of the doorframe as certain images concerning the words 'Sirius', 'fuck' and 'brains out' flooded into Harry's mind.

Harry shakily let go of his support and made a wobbly step towards Sirius, who looked downright miserable. Then the damn floor flipped under Harry's feet so that he nearly fell on Sirius' lap. He was able to stop this from happening by slamming his hands on both sides of Sirius' head, trying to avoid physical contact as much as possible. Harry wouldn't be able to stand it. As Sirius lifted his head, Harry blurted out.

"Do you want it? Do you want _me_?"

Harry was desperate to hear the answer, no matter if it would hurt. He _had_ to know.

Sirius closed his eyes and silence fell for a long while before he answered.

"Yes," he finally whispered, not caring about the huge plague that was shining in his brains, with the words NO GOOD! TELL HIM NO!! flicking in and out. "You have no idea how much…"

Harry didn't need to hear any more. He slipped his hands into Sirius' hair and pulled him into a deep kiss. Sirius flipped them around so that Harry was once again pinned to the wall. Sirius' other hand was in Harry's hair, caressing the silky locks of hair, as his other hand made its way under Harry's shirt, feeling the bare, burning skin beneath his hand.

Harry groaned in Sirius' mouth as he felt the hand under his shirt. He lifted his left leg into Sirius' waist, pulling him closer as their kiss became passionate again and their hands started to roam all over the others body.

Sirius leaned his forehead against Harry's as he broke the kiss, both hands steadily on Harry's ass at the moment.

**It really is bony**, Sirius thought transiently as he looked at Harry. Gasping for air, lips a bit swollen and parted, eyes gazed, he truly looked beautiful.

"Want to come in?" Sirius asked dizzily and tilted his head a bit towards his bedroom door.

"Definitely," Harry murmured and chuckled a bit, still trying to recover from his near- sweet though- suffocation. "You can't leave me like this, now can you?" He asked out of breath, grounding their hips together a bit, a bit dazed of his daring.

Sirius closed his eyes and tried to keep himself sane as he felt Harry move against him. He quickly detached himself from Harry and pulled him into his room.

Sirius closed the door and turned to look at Harry who was standing nearly in the middle of the room, conveniently halfway to the bed.

"You sure you want this?" Sirius asked as he made his way closer to Harry.

Harry just nodded silently and almost couldn't suppress a shiver as he saw the look that rose into Sirius' eyes after his little gesture. The usually sparkling grey eyes now looked almost black as a grin lit Sirius' face. But it wasn't his normal grin. This one was seductive and lustful and- promising. Harry had no hard time imagining what Sirius had looked like at seventeen and why over half of Hogwarts had fallen for him.

Sirius walked towards Harry and before the teen could even register it, his shirt was on the floor and he was tenderly guided towards the bed. Harry felt the edge of the bed behind his shins and before he could do anything, Harry was gently pushed to the mattress and Sirius followed, pressing his whole body against Harry's and sucking his lips. Sirius ground their hips forcefully together, earning a loud moan from Harry, who arched his back a bit. The next thing to go was Harry's jeans and socks, along with Sirius' shirt.

"I don't-" Harry started but was cut off by Sirius as he nearly sucked the breath out of Harry.

"Just relax, 'kay. I won't do anything you don't want," Sirius whispered in Harry's right ear, sending shivers down his spine. Sirius then licked Harry's ear and sneaked his right hand to touch Harry's groin. Harry groaned and bucked his hips up towards Sirius' hand. Sirius chuckled and licked and sucked his way down to Harry's chest. He then teasingly nibbled the left nipple, feeling how Harry's heart was racing, and teased the other nipple with his fingers. Harry arched his chest towards Sirius' mouth and gasped when Sirius took his erect nipple in his mouth, sucking hard. Harry sneaked his hand in Sirius' hair and pressed the man's mouth even harder against his chest, all the while whimpering, as Sirius' hand had found its way under Harry's boxers and was now stroking his erection maddeningly slow. Sirius then let go of Harry with his hand, earning a groan in protest. He pulled Harry's boxers off with one fluid motion, letting go of his nipples at the same time.

Sirius rose to a nearly sitting position and looked down at Harry, who was all naked now. Truly a beautiful sight, Harry was. His cheeks were blushed and without his glasses (they were somewhere on the floor, probably), Harry's eyes weren't hidden. They were a bit glazed and not their usual bright emerald green but nearly dark green. Harry was panting as he reached for Sirius, laying his fingers on the button on Sirius' jeans.

Harry looked up to meet Sirius' gaze and tilted his head a bit. Sirius just raised an eyebrow. Harry unbuttoned and unzipped his pants and as Sirius laid down so that the jeans could be taken off more comfortably, he had one Harry on top of him after this little act. They both moaned at the touch of bare skin against skin and Sirius very soon lost his boxers, too. Once they were both stark-naked, Harry straddling Sirius, they kissed again. The kiss was lingering, as their hands were busy to explore every inch of the other. Harry lowered his left hand to touch Sirius' groin, as he was licking and sucking Sirius' neck and chest. Harry reached Sirius' nipples and decided immediately that this was fun. As he caressed Sirius' throbbing erection with his other hand, Harry sucked and played with Sirius' nipples, trying to ignore the pulsing of his own desire.

Sirius started to heavily wonder if Harry really hadn't done anything like this before as the young wizard was eagerly sucking his chest and pleasuring Sirius with his left hand. Sirius groaned loudly and managed to flip them around, thrusting with his hips when he was on top of Harry. Harry groaned and arched his head back, throwing his arms around Sirius' neck and his legs around Sirius' waist, locking his ankles. Sirius kissed Harry full in the mouth and sneaked his hand into Harry's hair, tugging it, making the kiss even deeper. Sirius pressed his hips against Harry's and moved only a little, enjoying the friction that nearly sent him over the edge.

Harry whimpered. He couldn't take this any more. Everything just felt so good. Harry felt Sirius disentangling himself from Harry's limbs and kiss his way down. Harry's breath hitched in his throat as he felt Sirius' breath tickling him. He shivered and moaned when he felt Sirius' tongue licking along his shaft. Harry moaned loudly, all restraint blown into the wind, as he felt Sirius' mouth circling the tip of his cock and his whole body trembled as Sirius' took him in deeper in his mouth.

"Oh God" Harry was able to moan.

"Not quite," Sirius chuckled, licking again. "But wait a sec…"

Sirius sucked his fingers, slicking them with salvia. He then moved a bit, biting Harry's inner thigh as he placed a finger on Harry's entrance. Sirius felt Harry stiffen a bit and sucked a hickey in the boy's thigh.

"Relax," Sirius said. "You're gonna like this, trust me."

When Sirius felt Harry relaxing, he slipped his finger in. Harry gasped at the intrusion. It hurt a bit. But after Sirius resumed his licking and sucking as well, Harry found it hard to care. Then, after Sirius had slipped a second finger in, Harry suddenly saw white as a pure wave of pleasure hit him like a lightning. He couldn't hold back the yell that was ripped from his throat as the wave, along with Sirius' sucking, made him come.

Harry could do nothing but tremble for a while, gasping, as the waves of pleasure slowly departed.

"Liked it?" Sirius asked.

Harry could barely come up with the energy to open his eyes. He then looked at Sirius, who was still lying between Harry's legs, and nodded in the slightest.

"Good. Time for round two then," Sirius said.

Harry's eyes widened. No, he couldn't take that again.

Sirius just chuckled and started to move his fingers again inside Harry, slowly. Harry groaned and trembled as Sirius' fingers hit the spot again. He was hard again in a matter of seconds and Sirius slipped on top of Harry, still moving his fingers.

Sirius took his fingers out, making Harry utter a displeased noise. Sirius snickered teasingly as he lifted Harry's legs on his shoulders, casting a quick slicking charm on his erection. He then pressed it on Harry's entrance, kissing him deeply on the mouth at the same time.

"You really sure, Harry?" Sirius whispered on his ear, rubbing himself against Harry's hole, earning a low moan.

"Yeah…" Harry groaned.

"Whaaat?" Sirius teased voice husky. "Can't hear you…"

"Yes," Harry whimpered a bit louder.

"Tell me you want it…"

"I- I want it… Oh, God, Sirius! Just fuck me already! Please!" Harry moaned.

Sirius pressed a little and inched his cock inside Harry. Harry moaned and bit his lips.

"Breathe, Harry," Sirius murmured to Harry, his forehead leaning against Harry's.

Harry took a shivering breath and tried to adjust to the feeling of being ripped in two. He moaned as Sirius shifted a bit to stroke Harry's erection. Harry bit his lip and closed his eyes at the feeling of Sirius' hand around him.

"Move," Harry whispered and clutched the sheets in his fist, his knuckles turning white as Sirius pulled out, only to slip back in. After every thrust it hurt less and less until Harry felt Sirius' cock touching _the spot _again. His back arched at the feeling and a small whimper escaped his lips.

"Merlin, Sirius! Ahh- harder-mm!"

Harry's words reduced into incoherent mumbling and gasping as he arched towards Sirius, who started to move faster and harder in and out. To Harry it felt like Sirius' cock was massaging that wonderful spot all the time, and it didn't take Harry long to come, especially when Sirius started to stroke him again. Harry flung his arms around Sirius and pulled him into a deep kiss a bit before he came, moaning into Sirius' mouth. Sirius stilled and groaned to the kiss as he came into Harry.

They slumped on the bed in a mess of limbs, panting. Their sweaty bodies glued together as they just laid there, listening to each others breathing and heartbeats. Sirius then pulled away and Harry groaned a little at the loss, sounding tired. Sirius cast a cleaning charm and maneuvered them to lay on the bed so that they were spooning, blankets pulled over them.

"That was-… Sirius, it was... Amazing," Harry murmured, before drifting into Morpheus' welcoming arms. Sirius chuckled a bit, tiredly, before squeezing Harry closer to his chest and joining him in dreamland.

*_*_*

When Harry woke up in the following morning he instantly realized that someone had decided to pull a prank on him and replace his head with a throbbing appendage that tried to fall off as soon as Harry even thought about moving it.

And the light. Since when did his room start to bath in a strobe light so bright that it drilled straight to Harry's brains? He groaned a bit and nuzzled deeper in to the side of Sirius.

_Wait. What the hell? Sirius? In my bed? _

Harry nearly couldn't believe it, but the warm skin next to him definitely smelled like Sirius. Harry opened his eyes in disbelief and regretted it the moment he did so. Blinding. As if the harsh light coming from the window wasn't enough to almost blind Harry, making him squint his eyes and suppress a pained groan, the sight in front of him did the job perfectly.

Sirius was really lying right next to Harry, a peaceful expression on his sleeping face. Then Harry noticed that he, in fact, wasn't in his bed at all, let alone his room. No. This was Sirius' room and as Harry moved a bit and felt a sting in his ass, the hazy memories from yesterday night flooded into his mind. Harry tilted his head a bit and instantly grabbed it to prevent it from rolling off of his shoulders. Now he couldn't restrain the groan any more, making Sirius stir and open one eye.

As Sirius woke up to the odd noise, he was greeted with the most beautiful sight in the world. Harry was just inches away, clutching his head at the moment, like he was checking that it really was there. Sirius had had so many hangovers by now that he knew better than to try any rapid movements. Sirius reached out his hand and placed it on Harry's face, caressing his cheek with his fingers. Harry seemed to come back to Earth as his lips curled into a smile at feeling Sirius' faint touch. Harry slowly opened his eyes and looked at Sirius, avoiding moving his head.

"You okay?" Sirius asked softly.

"Depends how you look at it," Harry croaked.

"D'you regret this?" Sirius tilted his head slowly.

Harry chuckled in the slightest.

"Maybe drinking half-a-bottle of Firewhiskey the first time I decide to get hammered wasn't one of my best ideas but no, I don't regret _this_," Harry said and caressed Sirius' chest lightly, leaning heavily on his other hand.

"You want a hangover cure?" Sirius asked, amused.

"Yes, please," Harry croaked.

"You're gonna have to work for it, though," Sirius said teasingly.

Harry raised his eyebrow.

Sirius chuckled and pulled Harry closer gently, avoiding fast movement because judging by the look in Harry's face, he was having one hell of a headache at the moment. Sirius brought Harry's face down so that their foreheads were leaning against each other, sliding his hand into Harry's hair.

Harry pressed his lips against Sirius', enjoying the fact that he could actually do it in real life, instead of just in his dreams.

The kiss was slow and leisurely. Harry and Sirius both explored the other's mouth in all its content and Harry somehow ended up on top of Sirius in the process, his headache forgotten for a while. When air became an issue, they departed their lips, gazing deeply in each other's eyes.

"I could live with waking up like this every morning," Sirius muttered as he caressed Harry's hair.

Harry chuckled.

"My headache...?"

"Yeah, yeah. Wait a sec." Harry slid off Sirius as the man got up and walked to the bathroom.

Harry was enjoying the view from his spot on his stomach, head leaning heavily against the pillows. Sirius looked amazing as he passed the window and the sun painted his body in the colour of the purest gold. Harry's gaze followed Sirius as he entered the bathroom only to come back soon, with a bottle in his hands. Harry's lips spread to a huge grin as he watched Sirius approach.

_Merlin, could he look any more perfect…_

Sirius sat on the edge of the bed and handed Harry the liquid, after taking a gulp himself. He shuddered as the potion went down. Harry had a huge grimace etched on his face as he lifted his head and took a sip from the bottle.

"Yuck. This stuff doesn't taste good," Harry said.

"It's not supposed to. But it helps, yeah?"

"Yup," Harry said, a small shiver coursing through his body as the liquid took affect.

Sirius was caressing Harry's side slightly. His skin was as soft as cream. Harry suddenly grasped Sirius' teasing fingers and lifted them to his mouth. When he was sure that he had the other's full attention, Harry opened his mouth and licked Sirius' fingertips, a wicked glint present in his eyes. Sirius tilted his head and smiled as he pressed his fingers against Harry's tongue, joining the little game.

Harry slipped his tongue over Sirius' fingers and sucked them in his mouth. His groin was starting to react to this little endeavour of his, especially when he saw the clear evidence of Sirius' arousal as well. Harry decided to tease them both a bit more and sucked Sirius' fingers harder, enjoying that he was able to touch the other man so freely.

"Teaser," Sirius muttered as he watched Harry sucking his fingers like an eager little puppy, eyes half closed.

Sirius stretched his other arm and placed it against Harry's chest, pushing him back until he was lying completely under Sirius, legs spread.

Harry let go of Sirius' fingers as he was moved to lie on his back. A small string of salvia was connecting Harry's tongue and Sirius' fingers until Sirius moved them down Harry's body, tracing small lines. Harry was panting a little and suppressed a shiver as he felt Sirius' fingers on his side, tickling.

Sirius got a mischievous smile on his face and before Harry could stop him, Sirius had grabbed Harry's wrists and pushed them against the mattress. Harry groaned a little as he felt Sirius' hand around his wrists, preventing him efficiently from moving them even an inch. This shot a spike of heat straight into Harry's already aching hard-on, making him moan.

Sirius moved his face down until his lips were hovering right above Harry's. He stopped there and watched as Harry licked his lips; a mist of lust covering the younger mans eyes. Sirius traced his other hand even lower until reaching the place that Harry most wanted him to touch. With a mock-evil grin Sirius jumped his fingers over Harry's groin and started to caress his thigh. Harry moaned in disappointment, lifting his head to kiss Sirius. But Harry wasn't the only one who could do the teasing.

Sirius lifted his head at the same time as Harry, preventing them from locking lips. Harry moaned again as Sirius rose to his fours, so that their skin wasn't touching at all. Harry looked at Sirius, his chest moving rapidly.

"Siri…"

Sirius tilted his head. "You want something?"

Harry squirmed a bit, trying desperately to make a contact with skin with Sirius but to no avail. Sirius dodged him and Harry made a lustful moan.

"Siri, please," Harry begged. He wanted Sirius to touch him so badly.

"Please, what?"

Harry whimpered as he saw the look in Sirius' eyes. He threw all the remains of his moral restraint to the wind and all but begged Sirius to touch him.

Sirius traced Harry's arm slightly with his fingers and enjoyed the reaction the boy was shoving. Harry's eyes fluttered shut and a soft gasp escaped his lips. Sirius moved his hand to Harry's chest and played with his nipple.

"Which way, mouth or fingers?" Sirius asked, caressing the hard nipple and giving it a slight squeeze. Harry shuddered and gasped for air.

"I don't-"

"Which one?" Sirius asked again, his voice low, and a warm breath passed Harry's ear as Sirius leaned a bit closer.

"Mo-mouth," Harry murmured a blush evident on his face, eyes half open again, not looking at Sirius.

Sirius smiled wickedly and then licked Harry's right nipple, pressing hard with his tongue and listened the little groans that slipped past Harry's luscious, departed lips. Sirius sucked the nipple between his lips and gave it a small nip. As Harry's moans grew a little louder Sirius switched to the other nipple, still avoiding all other contact as he knew that that was what Harry wanted the most.

Sirius let go of Harry's nipple and made his way down, tracing his path with his tongue and making Harry whimper as he reached Harry's throbbing desire. Sirius looked up and saw that Harry's head was slightly tilted to the back, his mouth ajar, appearance screaming lustful. Sirius decided to cut the teasing as he took Harry in his hand and slid his mouth around him in one fluid motion. Harry yelped at the sudden strong contact and then reduced to a whimpering puddle of pleasure as Sirius slid two slicky fingers inside him, being careful not to hurt him. Harry managed to just gasp and moan for several minutes.

"Sirius, please," Harry pleaded. "I need to touch you."

Sirius licked Harry's full length before rising a bit. Harry immediately pulled Sirius down into a passionate kiss, throwing his hands around Sirius' neck. Sirius ground their hips together and they both gasped at the feeling. Sirius sneaked his fingers back inside Harry and massaged his prostate while moving his hips. Harry moaned and groaned and came while gasping Sirius' name.

Sirius tried to shift a bit but Harry grasped his arm.

"You didn't..."

"It's okay," Sirius said. Harry just shook his head and flipped them over, straddling Sirius once again. He then gave Sirius a deep kiss before making his way down, trailing his path with his tongue as Sirius had done to him. Harry reached Sirius' erection and caressed it a little, earning a muffled groan from Sirius. Harry wanted to know what Sirius tasted like down here and licked him a bit. He then trailed his tongue to the tip and licked there for a while. Harry looked up at Sirius, as if asking for permission. Sirius' eyes were half-closed and the bit that was seen from them was filled with suppressed lust. Sirius nodded a little and put his hand in Harry's hair, pushing it gently downwards.

Harry opened his mouth and took the tip of Sirius' cock in his mouth, sucking slightly. He heard Sirius moan a bit and felt him thrust his hips up, urging Harry to take him in more deeply. Harry felt Sirius' hands on his hair, not forcing, just resting. He opened his mouth even more and took Sirius in as deep as his mouth allowed. Hearing Sirius groan, Harry did this again several times, adding a suck in the upward motion at some point. Sirius gasped for air and suddenly Harry felt warm substance in his mouth as Sirius came with a loud moan. Harry sucked Sirius as long as there was still his coming left and then he licked his lips, enjoying Sirius' taste in his mouth. Sirius pulled Harry on top him and gave him a saturated kiss. They just laid there for a while before Kreacher appeared with a loud crack. It didn't seem surprised to see Sirius and Harry in the position they currently were, Sirius lying on his back, Harry on his side, an arm and a leg swung over Sirius' torso and waist.

"Mister Dumbledore is here, Master Sirius, Harry, sir."

"What? Why?" Sirius asked, still sounding extremely content. It was at least two in the afternoon by now.

"Mister Dumbledore didn't want to announce his business, just a request that Master meets him as soon as possible."

Sirius sighed a bit. "Where is he?"

"In the kitchen, Master."

"Okay, tell him I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Understood, Master." Kreacher disappeared with another loud crack.

Harry groaned a bit and nuzzled deeper in to Sirius' side. Sirius squeezed Harry's shoulder for a small moment before getting up with a huge sigh.

"What do you think he wants?" Harry asked as he watched Sirius once again strode around the room, only this time he was searching his clothes.

Sirius shrugged a bit and made a victorious sound as he found his boxers and slipping in them.

"Dunno. We'll see soon, now won't we?"

"We? Are you assuming here that I get up too? You're delusional," Harry stated as he flopped on the bed after putting on his glasses.

"Oh, no. You're coming too."

"But I just did," Harry pouted.

Sirius just chuckled before approaching the bed and pulling a very reluctant Harry up.

"Here," Sirius said and handed Harry his boxers.

"What about my clothes? I don't want to wear those as I'm pretty sure that they have a lovely odour on them anyway. And I don't want to stamp about the hallway with just my boxers. You can't guarantee that the Headmaster stays put in the kitchen."

Sirius grinned.

"Come here."

Sirius walked to the wall of which other side there was Harry's room. He pressed something on the wall and then walked through it. Harry blinked his eyes at the spot where Sirius had just stood. Sirius poked his head back through the wall and asked: "Are you coming?"

Harry's lips twitched a bit as he collected his clothes around the room and made his way through the wall.

Once back in his own room, Harry turned towards Sirius and raised an eyebrow.

"And why is there a hidden hole in the walls between our rooms? And I'm positive you knew about it when you gave me this room."

Sirius' grin widened. "Guilty as charged, for once. I did know about it but that's that. Now get changed."

Sirius walked through the wall to his own room again and Harry changed to black sweatpants and a black t-shirt. He opened his door and went to Sirius' room.

"I'm going down," Harry informed and nearly started drooling at the sight of Sirius wearing nothing except his pants, in the progress of pulling his shirt over his head. Harry watched fascinated at the movement of Sirius' body muscles as he moved his hands and at the tattoos that could only be seen when he didn't have his shirt on. When Sirius' head was free from the shirt, his hands pulling it down, he glanced at Harry. He was staring still at Sirius, a distant look in his face.

"Weren't you going down?" Sirius asked innocently. Harry shook his head a bit and a present look came back to his eyes.

"Yeah…"

Harry backed from the doorway and made his way downstairs. At the first two steps of the stairs Harry grimaced and muffled a groan of pain as he walked down. His ass hurt like hell. Sitting would be really interesting…

Dumbledore was sitting beside the table and looking at the house-elf making lunch when Harry entered the kitchen.

"Ah, Harry!" Dumbledore said as he noticed the young wizard.

"Harry, sir! What would you like to have? Coffee? Tea? A snack? Kreacher is making lunch so it must ask Harry, sir, not to eat much."

"Coffee and a sandwich are more than enough, Kreacher. I think Sirius will have the same, don't you think?"

"It wouldn't surprise Kreacher if Master ate a full breakfast and would be able to eat at least two plates of food in an hour, Harry, sir," Kreacher said as it pursed its lips in a mock-scolding way and made its way back to the stove, starting to prepare Harry's and Sirius' small snack.

"You seem to be doing fine, m'boy," Dumbledore said as he watched Harry sit down.

"I'm okay, Professor," Harry said with a small smile.

_I'm more than fine, actually, but you don't need to know that_.

Harry chuckled in his mind and watched as Kreacher arrived with his food. Harry took a long sip from his cup and started to munch his bread. At this point Sirius decided to make an entrance and came to sit next to Harry. He was quickly served with a sandwich and a very large cup of coffee.

"This is all?" Sirius asked, glancing at the single bread.

Harry smirked and it didn't miss Dumbledore's eyes that the house-elf had the smallest hint of amusement in its eyes as well.

"We decided to torture you and make you wait for another hour before a proper lunch," Harry said with a crooked smile as he finished his meal.

Sirius looked up towards the roof as if praying for something before sighing heavily and eating his bread with two large bites.

"I see that you are getting along fine," Dumbledore said, the twinkle present in his eyes and an indecipherable smile curling his lips.

"Yup, not a problem," Sirius said as he attacked his coffee cup.

"So I've read."

"Read?"

Dumbledore pointed to the Paper in front of him in the table, which Kreacher had laid there after paying the owl. Dumbledore had read it earlier today, of course, but had been scanning it when waiting for the residents of the house to deign to come down.

Sirius raised an eyebrow as he placed his cup on the table and picking up the Daily Prophet. He leaned back against the wall, legs on the table, again tilting his chair so that it stood only on its back legs. An amused glint appeared in Sirius' eyes as he looked at the headline.

THE-BOY-WHO-LIVED ENTICING THE INFAMOUS SIRIUS BLACK!

The front page was covered with a picture of him and Harry. It took Sirius a while to realize that that picture had been taken yesterday. They were sitting at a table, eating ice-cream. The picture's Harry and Sirius were laughing madly at something and Sirius saw himself grabbing Harry's hand, tasting the others ice-cream.

Sirius flipped the paper open and started to read about his and Harry's 'relationship' and of their latest 'date' in Muggle London.

Harry looked at Sirius who looked highly amused and read the paper, keeping it so that Harry couldn't read the headline.

"What is it?" Harry asked, suspicious. The Daily Prophet rarely wrote anything good, at least from Harry's point of view.

Sirius glanced at him and couldn't suppress a grin.

"Did you know that we were on a date yesterday?" Sirius asked, eyes glinting humour.

"We were?"

"Oh yes. And apparently it was just one of the many that we've been having for a while in complete secrecy. And the Daily Prophet was so lucky as to be there."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Sirius' grin widened as he showed Harry the front page. No matter that it really _was_ true. This was just hilarious. Sirius couldn't even imagine the face of one Remus Lupin when he read this one.

Harry paled a bit as he saw the headline. Then he started shaking. Dumbledore watched him a bit worriedly. The last thing Harry needed right now was unfounded rumours circling around him. It was to his great surprise as Harry started to laugh his head off.

_I can't- I can't take this! For once the Prophet is right about something! Too bad I won't tell them. Or to anyone for that matter._

When Harry calmed down, clutching his sides, he noticed that Dumbledore was looking at him looking highly relieved.

"So you two weren't on a date yesterday?" Dumbledore asked voice filled with humour.

"Nope. Just celebrated Sirius' birthday," Harry said, eyes glinting with mirth.

"Now then, Sirius. I really had some business here as well. I didn't come here to just speak of the latest rumours," Dumbledore said, still sounding cheerful.

"What is it?"

"It's about this house and the Order."

"What's the Order?" Harry cut in.

"It's a secret society that I founded during the first rise of Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore explained. "Its members are those who don't wish for the Dark to take over this world. There are some members of the original Order and a fair share of new wands. We recruit people who think the same way as we do and want to fight against Voldemort."

"I want to join," Harry said immediately.

"You are too young, Harry. We don't accept members that aren't of age. "

"But I'm the one being attacked by the crazy bastard, here. Don't you think that it would be useful?"

Dumbledore opened his mouth but didn't say a word.

"By the way, Sirius. You didn't explain to me about your bracelet." Harry said when he noticed that he wasn't going to get an answer from his Headmaster for a while.

"Every Order member has a piece of jewellery that allows them to contact other members. We invented it a while ago. It can also produce the form of the one you're talking to. Like a hologram."

"Can I get one?"

"You'd have to be a member."

Harry turned to face his Professor and looked him straight in the eye.

"I think you should let me join, Headmaster."

As Dumbledore was about to speak Harry cut in.

"I won't attend your missions, if you have ones, but think about how many people would want to join if they heard I was in."

Only the slightest hint of disgust in Harry's voice made it clear to Dumbledore that he wasn't saying this because he wanted to. But it was true. But he had to attend classes as well.

Dumbledore sighed, not sure if he was making the right decision.

"All right, Harry. You may join but understand that this will mean more learning for you in Hogwarts. I will have Order members train you so that you can be ready should the time come for you to defend yourself."

"Are you sure that I won't be expelled, Professor?"

Dumbledore smiled benevolently. "Quite. After hearing Mr. Pettigrew they have no reason to expel you as under aged wizards are allowed to perform magic if the situation is life threatening."

"I'll go with you, Harry. They can have my testimony if they want."

"You don't have to come, Sirius."

"I want to. Now, Dumbledore. What about this excuse of a house?"

"I was wishing I could ask you to comply with making this house the Headquarters of The Order of the Phoenix."

Sirius turned to Harry. "What do you think?"

"I'm fine with it," Harry shrugged.

_Although we'll have to be careful if this house will be filled with people. Oh, well. I think we'll think of something._

"Fine," Sirius said to Dumbledore who looked relieved.

"Good. I'll inform the others and put a few wards around this house."

"There are already quite a few of them. You think you can squeeze yours in a small corner somewhere?" Sirius said amused.

A smile twitched Dumbledore's lips as he answered.

"I think I'll come up with something," he said and went to the fireplace, getting ready to floo out, as he had done the same thing when arriving. "They'll be here in a few hours, I think."

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Mr. Weasley and his family along with Miss Granger have been eager to stay here for a while now, but I told them I had some matters to sort out here before that. Sirius, I trust that you will give Harry his contact-piece."

"I will. No worries."

"Good. Goodbye then." With that Dumbledore flooed out.

"How many rooms will Kreacher prepare, Master Sirius?" The elf came hurriedly to stand beside them.

"Let's see. It's Hermione, Ron, his parents..." Sirius turned towards Harry. "How many of them do you think is coming? I heard that there is a bunch of the Weasleys."

Harry tilted his head as he counted.

"Better make it five rooms, Kreacher," Harry said finally. "I'm not entirely sure though. It's not too much of a trouble, is it?"

"Not at all! Kreacher will go now. If Master Sirius and Harry, sir, wants to eat the food is ready."

"Thanks Kreacher." With that the little elf disappeared out the door.

Once they were done eating Sirius turned to Harry as they were putting their plates into the sink.

"What do you want your communicator to be? It can be pretty much anything as long as you can have it always with you. My advice is a necklace or something."

"An earring," Harry said after a while of pondering.

Sirius chuckled. "Not a modest one, are you."

"What do you mean?"

"N'thing," Sirius murmured as he slipped his hand into Harry's hair, pulling him closer. "We're gonna have a problem when the others will show up, you know. A big one."

Harry smiled faintly, trying to think of something reasonable to say when Sirius' face was inches away from his.

"I know, " Harry muttered as he wrapped his arms around Sirius' neck, pulling him even closer. "We'll just try to survive, right? And try not to be too transparent."

Sirius just smiled in response and then he pressed his lips against Harry's, encircling the other man's waist with his arm. The kiss was lingering, and their tongues explored each other idly. Then Sirius pulled away with a huge sigh and rested his forehead against Harry's.

"You could've said no," Harry remarked. "When Professor Dumbledore asked you."

"Not really. Not without him getting suspicious as hell." Sirius said with a lopsided smirk. He pecked Harry on the lips and pulled away.

"A shower…?" Sirius said, stretching out his hand.

* * *

So, there it is. I hope your computer is still clean from the nosebleed or drool and that you haven't been carted off by an Ambulance because of a heart-attack. When your hands stop trembling, I'm sure you're all yearning to press the nice little button that says review.

If you don't, I'll make Harry strip naked, put a ribbon on and offer himself to Grabbe and Goyle for a threesome.

Please, save Harry! (and Sirius, along the way). Your reviews are their only chance!


	5. Chapter 5

Well, here I am again! How have you liked your visit do Dowash-land so far?

Much thanks to my reviewers! You are beginning to be the air I breath!!

**Death1991**: Thanks, as always! And I'm glad you're impressed. I try to work hard on those ;)

**deathxofxthexbetrayed: **Of course you are important! The first to review and all ;D

**Ckarrine: **I'm sincerely glad you've liked it. That always means a lot to hear. :)

**Zotikos**: Awe- *gulp* awesome?! *nearly faints* I.... I don't really know... what to say... Except that yes, that's the plan at some point. Worry not ;)

F. : I do? Thanks ;) I try my best. And I'm glad if it amused you

Oh yeah! As long as I can remember! I had a palaver with Sirius and Harry yesterday and they told me some shocking news. CONFESS IT! Who was it that tried to steal Sirius' underwear?!

Sirius: Err... Dowash? You confessed already. It was you.

Dowash: I did no such thing! I was merely going to wash them.

Harry: When Sirius still had them on? Really?

Dowash: Quiet, teenager. You're too small to understand things like these.

Sirius: What about the disclaimer?

Dowash: What're you talking about, hun? I own you guys of course. You're tied up in my cellar with my plot-bunny.

Harry: No-one's buying that, Dowash. The pretty lady in England still owns us.

Dowash: *huffs* I bet she does. *whispers* I'm gonna need some psychiatric counseling now. That 'pretty lady' thing unbalanced me greatly. I'll see you at the end and enjoy this chapter!

--

_Harry thinking_

**Sirius thinking**

**--  
**

* * *

Hermione and the Weasleys arrived at Grimmauld Place four hours later. They gazed around the house from the front door. Even after Sirius', Harry's and Kreachers hard cleaning the house was still a bit shady around the corners. They didn't see anyone (Kreacher had opened the door and went to fetch Harry or Sirius) and Ron was just about to ask his Mom what they should do when a loud laugh was heard echoing through the house.

It took them a while to realize that it was Sirius' voice, filled with mirth. The laughing got louder as they saw two figures coming down the stairs, both clutching their sides.

Harry and Sirius looked up as they had to sit on the stairs. Their legs couldn't carry them anymore because the lack of oxygen. Their gazes were met with a confused and somewhat amused look on all the faces of the new inhabitants of Grimmauld Place. Harry tried to suppress his laughter but couldn't help but burst into laugh again as his eyes met Sirius'.

"What's with you two?" Ron asked, a smile creeping on his face as well. This kind of cheerfulness was highly contagious.

Harry was able to just shake his head a bit, before willing himself to stop laughing.

"Nothing much," Harry said, still giggling.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Nothing much? You were laughing for ten minutes, Harry."

"Good to see you too, Hermione," Harry said, a small smile still present on his face. "And you, Ron."

"Yeah, well, mate. Here we are, " Ron said.

"I can see that," Harry said teasingly.

Sirius and Harry rose shakily from the stairs and looked at the others, both heads tilted a bit to the left, like they were mimicking each other.

"Do you have a lot of stuff?" Sirius asked. "If not, Kreacher can take care of it and we can go to the kitchen. I'm hungry!"

"You always are, Siri," Harry said as he looked at his lov- err, _Godfather._

_Godfather. Godfather! He's just that right now! Not my lover! _

Sirius pouted and turned his gaze back to the Weasleys and Hermione. "So, what's it gonna be?"

"Well, we need to know where we sleep so we may as well take our stuff ourselves", Hermione said.

Sirius nodded and led them upstairs, pointing them their rooms. Ron, Ginny and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were on the second floor and Fred, George and Hermione were on the third.

*_*_*

The next few days were pretty hectic. Order members popped in and out and it was more than likely that they stayed for dinner. The Order didn't keep full meetings because of Harry's –interesting- situation. After all, it would have resulted in a small riot, had the other under-aged people in the house to notice that Harry had been recruited and they weren't. Mrs Weasley had taken to herself to practically force-feed 'poor' Harry to death, as she thought that he was still too skinny.

No wonder then that when Harry woke up after four days' worth of dealing with the fact that he was unable to touch Sirius the way he wanted to in front of other people when he'd just gotten a taste of what it would be like, and they had practically been forced to be in celibacy, he was more than pleased to find Sirius in his bed, doing something highly enjoyable.

Harry moaned softly, a small smile spreading across his face. Sirius sucked a bit harder and Harry cried out and bucked his hips upwards. He slipped his hands into Sirius' soft hair that had spread around Harry's groin, tickling his sensitive skin. He felt Sirius chuckle lightly and Harry twitched, as the small vibration that Sirius' mouth produced made a wave of pleasure shot right through his body. He arched his back with a little guttural sound escaping his lips and felt Sirius' hand behind his leg, lifting it on the other man's shoulder as he slipped a finger inside Harry.

Harry gasped as he felt Sirius' finger inside him. He'd missed this like hell, and it had just been four days. He didn't even want to know what his life would be like when he went back to Hogwarts, and it would take months for him to see Sirius. Those thoughts were quickly dissolved as Sirius hit Harry's prostate with his massaging finger and sent Harry gasping and moaning over the edge.

"You should wake me up more often," Harry said softly as he came back from Pleasure-Land.

Sirius giggled as he slipped on top of Harry, giving him a long kiss.

"Just thought you'd want to be in a good mood today, that's all."

Harry frowned a bit.

"Why?"

"You have your hearing today. Don't you remember?"

A shadow flickered across Harry's face as he sighed.

"Oh," was all that he said.

"They won't expel you, Harry," Sirius said as he caressed Harry's hair with his hand, a reassuring smile on his face.

Harry closed his eyes. "You can't know for sure, Siri."

"You heard Dumbledore, right? And he said that you won't be expelled. Believe him, Harry."

Harry turned his head a bit. Then a thought came to him.

"Sirius, why _are _you here?"

"Told you. I came to wake you up."

"No, I mean- Why did you wake me up like that? Not that I'm displeased-," Harry shot Sirius a bright smile, "- just that what if someone came in during that? It would've been quite- hard- to explain. "

Sirius gave Harry a mischievous smile.

"You know, I don't know if I should be the one to tell you this, but I _am_ a wizard after all. Besides, I said that you might be a bit grumpy when you woke up so I think that we'll be quite safe here. And we can hear if someone comes."

"How much time before I have to go?"

"We, Harry. I'm coming with you, I told you that already."

"But-"

"NO buts, Sunny boy. Let your poor excuse of a Godfather to come and support you."

"And would said person want to _come_ a bit earlier as well?" Harry wiggled his eyebrows.

Sirius tilted his head.

"I think I'll have to decline. We have to leave in an hour."

Harry sighed again and got up along with Sirius. As his pyjama pants were almost off already, be just pulled his boxers up and pulled his night-shirt over his head.

"You know, I'm starting to regret my refusal," Sirius whispered in Harry's ear as he sneaked his hands around Harry's waist from the back, pressing himself firmly against Harry's back.

Harry sighed a bit and leant into Sirius' arms.

"Sirius?"

"Hmm?"

"If I really get expelled, can I come and live here with you?"

"I already told you Harry, you won't be-"

"I just need to know," Harry cut in. "Please, Siri. Answer me."

Sirius tightened his arms around the boy.

"Of course," Sirius said and kissed Harry's nape. He instantly felt Harry relax.

Harry turned around and kissed Sirius, enjoying his warmth and the familiar taste of his mouth.

"Thank you," Harry whispered as he pulled away.

"You don't need to thank me, Harry. Now put some clothes on."

"Or else?" Harry asked, a smile playing on his lips.

"Or else I'll fuck you senseless right this second and you'll have a fun time sitting at your hearing."

Harry pouted. "That's not a real threat!"

Sirius laughed and pulled away from Harry's arms. "I'm serious, here."

Harry's lips twitched. "You always are," he said and went to his wardrobe. "What d'you reckon I should wear?"

Sirius followed Harry and peered inside. "Those," he said and pointed to Harry's worn-out jeans. "Do you have anything else than t-shirts?"

"Not really."

"Okay. Come along." Sirius led Harry to his own room through the masked wall and made his way to his own wardrobe.

"Take this," Sirius said and gave Harry a black dress shirt.

"Sirius, I can't wear this!"

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "And do tell me. Why not?"

Harry just opened and closed his mouth a few times before shrugging and putting the shirt on.

"Aha! I knew it! It fits you perfectly. I'll shrink it a bit and then you're all set."

Sirius dragged Harry to face the mirror and shrunk the shirt a bit, making it look like a second skin to Harry.

Harry just gazed at his reflection for a while before turning to Sirius.

"You!"

"What?" Sirius said innocently.

"You just wanted me to look as good as possible, didn't you?"

"I must have some fun in my life, too, Harrykins!"

"Do you have any idea how they'll react if I show up like this?!"

"I don't see the problem here. You need to look neat and from where I'm standing, you qualify quite well."

Again, Harry was at a loss of words. Sometimes he just wondered what the hell went through Sirius' mind. But he had to admit that he looked nice…

_The hell, I'm practically screaming fuck me! Damn that Sirry-Birry for being right! At least if my interrogator is a she…_

**Damn, I want to fuck his brains out right this second! No, no… I did this myself. My fault he looks like a sex-God. Although the trip to the Ministry should be fun…**

Sirius was grinning like mad when he, too changed his clothes. Jeans and a t-shirt. That would be enough. Suddenly Sirius felt a gaze on him. He turned around and saw that Harry was staring at him.

"What?"

Harry tilted his head a bit.

"Do you have to look so good?" Harry practically whined.

"I can't help it. It's my birthright to be the sexiest man walking the face of this Earth, but I can assure you that you're a close second." Sirius chuckled and made his way towards Harry. "Now what about your hair? Want to keep it like that?"

Harry snorted. "Not much can be done about it. Just leave it, Siri."

Sirius nodded and went to his door.

"Let's go down, then. I can pretty much guess what Molly's gonna say," Sirius winked.

*_*_*

The Weasleys and Hermione were eating breakfast. Ron and Hermione had gladly delegated the task of waking Harry up to Sirius, as being cursed by their friend at least twice each was enough for them. Hermione was just finishing her breakfast when Harry walked into the kitchen, apparently playfully arguing about something with Sirius. Hermione nearly choked on her tea. She wasn't the only one that noticed Harry's and Sirius' arrival as the whole table went quiet as they looked at the two men.

Harry raised an eyebrow as he sat on the table. He had noticed a while ago that the kitchen was peculiar, to say at least. It didn't look any bigger from when Harry and Sirius had eaten there, just the two of them. But now there were almost ten people and the table that had been perfectly fit for two now housed five times more stuff without looking any bigger. Magic truly was wonderful.

"What would Master and Harry, sir want for breakfast?" Kreacher hurried towards them, breaking the silence.

"I'll take just coffee, Kreacher. Thanks."

Kreacher bowed to Harry and then turned to Sirius.

"Will Master have the usual?"

"Yep. Thanks, Kreacher."

After bowing again the house-elf went to the stove.

There was a small silence before Mrs. Weasley finally burst out.

"Harry, dear. What on _Earth_ are you wearing?"

"_Clothes_, Mrs. Weasley. Is there a problem?" Harry was getting quite tired of Molly's constant pampering. He wasn't five, and Mrs. Weasley wasn't his mother, no matter how much Harry liked her.

"A problem? But dear Harry, you can't go to the Ministry looking like that!"

"And why not?"

"It's not proper; you'll have to give a good impression and wearing something like that…"

"I think I won't give a good impression if my interrogator is someone who dislikes me, no matter what I wear."

"Not true. You'll be talking to Amelia Bones. She's fair, Harry," Mr. Weasley cut in.

Kreacher arrived with Harry's coffee and Sirius' breakfast and they dug in, Harry sipping his coffee and Sirius getting rid of his food in record time.

"Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah?"

"I didn't even know you had a dress shirt."

"I don't."

"Then what-"

"His," Harry said and pointed to Sirius. "You can blame my outfit on him, by the way."

"Hey! Are you saying there's something wrong with my taste in clothes, Sunny boy?"

"Not at all, just that it might get a bit odd sometimes."

"There's nothing wrong with liking to look good!"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You're good-looking? Merlin, why didn't I ever notice, you should've said something to enlighten me, Sirry-Birry."

Sirius looked mock-hurt as he gulped his coffee down and rose from the table.

"Come then, Harrykins. We need to leave."

"Already?" Suddenly it felt like the bottom of Harry's stomach was gone and the nervousness he had felt briefly when he'd woken up came back with full force.

"It's gonna go well, Harry," Ron said, seeing his friend getting nervous. The others around the table made agreeing sounds. All except Ginny, who was still staring at Harry, trying to collect her mouth from the floor.

Harry sighed again what felt like the tenth time that morning and drank his coffee, getting up.

*_*_*

Harry and Sirius would go to the Ministry by the Muggle way, which in common language meant by the underground and by foot. They left Grimmauld Place and went to the nearest Underground Station, gathering looks along the way. Harry was feeling a bit uncomfortable as he was sitting next to Sirius on the underground, as people were throwing them looks here as well.

"Sirius?"

"Whaat?"

"Why are people staring at us?"

Sirius grinned at a woman who had been looking at him, making her blush and turn her gaze away.

"Quite simple. You look good and people look at you. It's as simple as that."

"I don't like it. Damn you for making me wear this shirt!"

Sirius' grin widened as a sly glint appeared in his eyes.

"You could've just changed your shirt if you didn't like it."

Harry muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?" Sirius asked teasingly, leaning closer to Harry.

Harry gave Sirius an annoyed glance before sighing and murmured barely audibly.

"You said I look good…"

Sirius smiled and poked Harry to his side with his elbow.

"And I meant every word. Now come on, this is our stop."

They came out in the middle of London and Sirius started to lead Harry to their left, walking along a busy street. They reached a red telephone booth and Sirius tilted his head towards it.

"Get in."

"What?" Harry asked, bewildered. It was just a booth. "Why?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Because I like to be cooped up with you in a small place, of course."

Harry chuckled and shook his head as he walked inside the telephone booth. It was a bit cramped but Harry didn't mind much, as Sirius was pressed tightly against him.

"No ideas," Sirius warned with a wink as he reached behind Harry and looked at the phone thingy that looked like someone'd tried to rip it off.

"You sure it works?" Harry asked looking at Sirius, trying to keep his imagination in check as Sirius' face was inches away from his own. Harry licked his lips a bit.

_After this, no matter the outcome, I'm so gonna spend at least three hours in bed with him…_

Sirius gave Harry a lopsided grin at seeing the look on his eyes. He then looked at the phone again and gave in the number code.

A cold woman voice was heard.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Announce your names and business."

"Sirius Black and Harry Potter. Harry is here for a hearing."

"Understood. Visitors, be ready to give your wands for a check at the Atrium."

Harry gasped in surprise as the booth suddenly fell down, under the street. Before he knew it, he was blinded by a golden light coming from the space before him. Sirius pulled a blinking Harry out of the booth and it rose back towards the ceiling. Harry just gazed around for a while before Sirius dragged him to a counter. The wizard behind it looked at Sirius in awe, mouth hanging slightly open.

"He came for a hearing," Sirius said and tilted his head towards Harry, who was still looking around.

_Huge._ That was the first thing that came into mind from this place. The ceiling looked to be so far away and Harry almost couldn't see the walls. And the people. Harry had never heard just that kind of a noise that comes from thousands of heels walking across the marvelous wooden floor, the voices of people discussing, the pops when witches and wizards Apparated and Disapparated, the low, constant humming made by flooing people, all mixed together in a mild cacophony.

Sirius snapped his fingers in front of Harry's face, stopping him looking all goofy. Sirius smiled a bit. This place had that kind of an effect Harry was showing when someone first came in here.

"Your wand," Sirius said as he had Harry's attention.

"What?"

"I need to check it, Mr. Potter," The counter wizard said. Harry didn't need to ask how he knew his name.

Harry handed him his wand and the wizard made a quick scan over it.

"Okay," the wizard finally said.

Harry took his wand back and Sirius led him towards the elevators. It was kinda amusing to see all those people either flinched at seeing them, well seeing Sirius, actually, or watching mouth open as they passed. Suddenly Sirius stopped in front of one of the elevators, ushering Harry in as it came down. Surprise, surprise, they were the only ones at the lift.

"They're idiots," Harry said and turned to face Sirius, who didn't seem at all uneasy because of the fact that he was being avoided.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "And we didn't know that already?"

"Or they're just so shocked to see us together because of the Daily Prophet."

"Could be true," Sirius said with a wink. "Ah, our stop!"

They were at the second level. Sirius looked around a bit and grabbed the first person to walk past them by her elbow.

"Where's Amelia Bones' office?" Sirius asked.

The young witch looked terrified after realizing that he was face to face with Sirius Black. Not a word came out and the shocked look on her face was replaced with something else as she took in Sirius' features. Harry didn't like that look at all.

"It's down the hall, to your right and at the end of the corridor," she said with a sugary voice, lashing her eyelids a bit. "Want me to show the way?"

Harry was ready to puke. He disliked this woman immediately.

Sirius just shot a bright smile that left the witch blinking and shook his head.

"Nope. We'll be fine."

Only then did the woman notice Harry and she blinked a bit harder, as the boy in front of her was no other than The-Boy-Who-Lived, looking sinfully handsome.

"M-Mr. Potter," she uttered.

Harry just tilted his head a bit before following Sirius down the hall. He was starting to feel a bit sick.

Once they were around the corner Harry stopped.

"Sirius." It was just a faint, trembling whisper but Sirius heard it nonetheless. He turned around and saw Harry leaning against the wall, looking alarmingly pale.

"Harry, what is it?" Sirius muttered as he hurried to his side, taking Harry's face between his hands and looking him in the eye.

Harry closed his eyes for a bit before answering.

"Nothing." Harry's voice still trembled a bit. "Just felt sick for a while. Although it might have something to do with that woman that we met. I mean, she was so coming onto you! Yuck!"

Sirius gave him a wide smirk. "I tend to have that kind of an effect on women. Don't know why."

Harry's lips twitched a bit. He was feeling a little better. "Sure you don't."

"Honestly!"

"Sirius, if I believed half of what you say I'd have some pretty heavy traumas by now."

Sirius just pouted, looking mock-hurt.

"Let's just go before I start feeling sick again," Harry said and pushed Sirius away from him gently, starting to walk towards the door.

*_*_*

The hearing went well. Amelia Bones was a nice witch and had been there when Pettigrew had been brought in for questioning, so she had no hard time believing Harry's story. In fact, she was more interested in Harry's Patronus than the event itself. They talked for a good while about it, completely forgetting about the fact that this was supposed to be an official hearing.

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Here we are! Ch 5 done! Liked it? Hated it? Lemme know.

*Psychiatric counseling room*

Sirius(he's the doc, see): So, Dowash what seems to be the problem?

Dowash: *sobs hysterically* you- your lover- just told me- something- highly unsettling.

Sirius: Harry? No he didn't. He's as sweet as chocolate, that one. Mind if I go and lick him up now? *rises from his chair*

Dowash: Don't you dare! Your obliged to listen to the Author's problems!

Sirius: *sighs and sits back down* So, what did Sunny boy say to you?

Dowash: He *sob* he told me *sob* that the pretty lady *sob* in England *sob* owns you.

Sirius: Well, he _is _right. And you said so yourself at some point. You're only borrowing us to entertain your twisted imagination.

Dowash: But you've liked it so far, haven't you *grins slyly*

Sirius: Very much indeed. There's very little you can put into a kids' book.

Dowash: That's why I'm here. Even though I don't -*realization strikes her again and she starts to cry again*

Sirius: There, there, Dowash. I'm sure your readers will cheer you up with reviews. *looks at the readers* You will, right? She'll feel better. So press the nice button that says 'review' and brighten her day! Otherwise she won't be able to update and you won't see what I get to do to my Harrykins in the future! On you go!


	6. Chapter 6

Here it is. Chapter 6. But I must say, I'm a bit disappointed in you guys. Over 200 have read and only 19 reviews? *sob* Although I can't really blame you... I do the same myself xP

On to more merrier thoughts!

**gueenybeeny**: thanks for the review! Compliments are always highly appreciated! And I'm glad you're having fun reading to my rambles! Although I honestly don't know where those things come from... ^.^

**Dysdaimona: **I hope you'll find this chapter-... entertaining... - as well ;)

**Knyghtshade: **Well, it wouldn't have suited my evil(-ish?) plans if Harry had been kicked out XP Much more fun like this... *wink*

**deathxofxthexbetrayed: **To- *swallows hard* top rate?! Aww!!! Thank you so much!!! That really made my day! Hope this chapter keeps up to your standards, then :)

This thing always depresses me completely but I think I'll have to do it. Harry! Lend me your helping hand or I won't write this down.

Harry: *sighs* Sorry. Dowash is feeling a bit down at the moment. Maybe I'll just tell her that she owns us? It'll make her feel better, yeah?

Hermione: Don't you splutter nonsense, Harry. You can't go lying to the audiences!

Harry: But I want to cheer up Dowash or else she'll stop writing! And I want her to get to the part that contains the ice dream!

Hermione: Ice cream? What in the name of Merlin are you talking about?!

Dowash: Quiet, Harry! It's still a long way ahead! You don't go revealing something like that this early!!

Harry: Sorry. But you feel better now, right?

Dowash: A bit, yeah. But I'm still gonna need the counseling. It's rough to know that I don't own you.

Harry. You'll get through it! Just think about you-know-what!

Hermione: I seriously don't understand you guys anymore.

Dowash: Seriously, huh? *a wicked grin appears on her face*

Okay, that made absolutely no sense to me... XD Blame the hormones or whatever... Well, I'll stop this one here. Enjoy the chappy!!

* * *

After Harry and Sirius left the Ministry and went back to Grimmauld Place they had a little feast, celebrating the fact that Harry had been released of all charges. After that, well…

Harry was overly energetic for the next two days, pranking anyone and everyone in the house. Except Siri, of course. He'd helped Harry a great deal. So when return to Hogwarts was just five days away, the house's occupants sighed in relief when Harry and Sirius announced at breakfast they'd be going to Diagon Alley today to buy Harry's school supplies.

Harry and Sirius flooed to the Leaky Cauldron, making a nice entrance as Harry started to whine the minute they arrived.

"Come ON, Siri! Honestly, how slow can you be? I'll just leave you here, you'll just slow me –"

"Harry," Sirius said threateningly. "You shut up right this second or I'll hex you into next month."

Harry just jumped up and down a bit, looking too energetic for his own good. Sirius sighed and followed the suddenly five-year-old-like Harry to the backyard of the Leaky Cauldron under the amused gazes of the customers in the pub.

They started with Gringotts. After that it was robes, Potion supplies, books, ink, quills… The lot. After an hour and a half Harry and Sirius were sitting at a table in an ice-cream bar, enjoying the little rest.

"Now, let's go," Sirius said after they'd eaten.

"Where to?" Harry asked. "I already bought everything I need."

Sirius just grinned and led Harry in front of a small shop.

"No way in hell. Sirius, this costs - I don't even want to _know_ how much it'll cost! You don't have to spend all of your money to me!"

"But I like spoiling you! Now step in."

*_*_*

After a half an hour Harry and Sirius walked out of the little shop, Harry without his glasses. His vision had been permanently fixed.

It felt a little odd to Harry to walk without his glasses; he had been so used to their little weight on his nose. But Sirius wasn't finished. He led Harry to a hair salon, where his hair was made longer, cut in layers and the tips dyed silver. After that it was the tattoo/piercing salon where Harry had his left ear pierced. The earring was from Sirius.

"Sirius, where did you get this?" Harry asked as he fingered his new earring. It was made of silver and there was two snakes curled together along all their length. It was nearly an inch long. And even though Harry didn't generally really like the idea of wearing something with snakes on it, he loved this one. And it went perfectly with his hair that was now shoulder length and entwined nicely with the earring.

Sirius smiled as he looked at Harry. "I found it somewhere…" was the only thing that he said. "It really suits you, though." Sirius' smile widened.

They were slowly walking along the Diagon Alley towards the Leaky Cauldron. Luckily Sirius had shrunk all of Harry's things because otherwise they'd have at least ten bags to drag around. That was the only thing Sirius hated about shopping.

"D'you want to go to Muggle London? We could buy you some more clothes."

Harry glanced at Sirius. After the other man had gotten his hair cut he looked almost exactly like the Sirius in Harry's parents' wedding photo. His hair was still semi-long and it was cut in layers too and it looked like he'd just survived the heaviest of tornadoes. Harry wanted to run his hand through it, make the feeling of it shorter etch into his mind. This meaning that he wanted to run back to Grimmauld Place right this second and push Sirius into a horizontal position for a very long time.

Harry sighed a bit. He really did need new clothes. Damn that fact!

"Fine then. But it's a quicky, okay? I don't want to do shopping any longer than I have to!"

Sirius smirked and nodded, the double meaning of 'quicky' not escaping him in the slightest, especially when he'd seen how Harry glanced at him. The emotion was well hidden but it didn't slip past Sirius' keen eyes unnoticed.

They visited Gringotts again so that Harry could change some money, as he was very firm about the fact that Sirius wouldn't spend any more money on him.

Sirius dragged Harry into at least half a hundred shops, at least on Harry's opinion. By the time they were done, it was already eleven in the evening and Harry had at least five new jeans along with almost a dozen shirts. And not just t-shirts. Dress shirts, hoodies, long sleeved shirts… You name it, and Harry was almost hundred percent sure that he had it.

They dragged themselves to the tube and nearly crawled to Grimmauld Place, giggling all the way like they were more than a little drunk even though they hadn't drank anything with alcohol. When they tried to sneak into the house quietly, Harry's tired legs tripped on the threshold and he grabbed Sirius' arm, pulling him down with him with a yelp. They were both snickering madly as they lay on the floor, trying to uncover themselves from the many bags Sirius had just seconds ago enlarged. Harry managed to drag himself to sit next to the stairs as Sirius leaned against the opposite wall.

Harry heard hurried footsteps from the upper floors and grimaced a bit.

_Shit, we woke them up._

Sirius was supporting the same kind of face when Mrs. Weasley along with everyone else living there stormed down to the first floor, wands at the ready.

"Oh, Harry dear! It was just you! Don't go scaring me like that!" Mrs. Weasley was nearly fuming.

"What am I? A wall decoration?" Sirius asked before glancing at Harry and they both burst into mad giggles.

Mrs. Weasley was looking highly unpleased. Ron decided to step in.

"Harry?"

Harry turned to look at Ron, still giggling.

"Are you drunk, mate?"

Before Harry could answer, Mrs. Weasley had started to yell at Sirius from the bottom of her lungs.

"SIRIUS BLACK!!!! How dare you offer alcohol to someone who is still under aged! Harry does not need this kind of thing right now! I thought you were a little more responsible-"

When Mrs. Weasley stopped to inhale, Harry cut in, getting wobbly up from the floor.

"Mrs. Weasley, I'm not drunk. And if I was, it'd have nothing to do with you or Sirius or anyone else. "

This shut her up.

"Now, I really want to go to eat something. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me", Harry said, turning towards Sirius as he spoke. "You coming?"

Sirius nodded and called for Kreacher. When the house-elf arrived with a loud crack, Sirius asked it to take the bags into Harry's room. After that he followed Harry to the kitchen, both staggering a bit.

Mrs. Weasley followed them to the kitchen and in the light of the lamps they only now clearly saw Harry and Sirius.

"Wow, mate! Cool earring! When'd you get that?" Fred asked as he sat next to Harry.

"Cool hair, too," George added as he sat on Harry's other side. "Bill's gonna like that," he added, pointing to Harry's earring that was glinting in the light.

Harry grinned tiredly and munched his bread. "You think?"

"Hell yeah!" Ron cut in, looking at Harry in some sort of awe.

"Harry dear, why did you take a piercing?" Mrs. Weasley asked in a voice that was pure silk, hovering over Harry. Never a good sign.

"Because I wanted to," Harry said and Ron looked at him in terror. NO-one dared to talk to her mother like that when she took that tone.

"Because you _wanted _to? Not because someone persuaded you?" It was as obvious as daylight who Mrs. Weasley thought was responsible at the glance she gave Sirius.

"I _wanted_ to," Harry said, putting strong pressure on the word. "Don't go blaming Sirius the minute you have the excuse."

By now every one of the Weasleys- apart from Mrs. Weasley, of course- were looking at Harry like he was mad.

"I do not blame Sirius the every chance I get, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, her face reddening a bit. "I'm merely expressing my concern about-"

"About how you think I'm a very bad influence on your precious Harry," Sirius cut in, voice slightly filled with venom, his good mood far away gone, as was Harry's.

"I've never said anything of that sort!"

Harry laughed. He was getting tired of this. "You didn't have to, _Molly_. Your actions speak for themselves."

"You- you… I only want what's best for you and I think that Sirius can't offer you what you want…"

Harry rose up and faced Mrs. Weasley, tilting his head a bit. "And do _you_ know what I want?"

Mrs. Weasley was at a loss of words. "But- you are- like a son- to me-"

She was cut off when Harry took a step closer. Sirius caught a glimpse of his face and stood up, starting to go around the table. Clearly Harry's meter was full on the 'Mrs. Weasleys pampering'-scale.

"Molly, I appreciate everything what you've done for me but try to understand. You're _not_ my mother, no matter how much you'd like it to be so. You can't go saying what I can and can't 's reserved for my parents and the last time I checked they were dead."

"But- Harry- I never-"

"Just shut the fuck up and let me finish for a change! You can't replace my parents and I don't want you to. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself; I don't need your so-called good advice to tell me what to do!!!"

After Harry stopped yelling he shook his head at Mrs. Weasleys bewildered look and turned towards the door.

"Harry," Ron piped up but shut his mouth at seeing the look on Harry's face before he stormed out.

There was a tense silence after Harry's leave before Sirius shrugged and turned to face Mrs. Weasley, who seemed to be glued to the spot.

"Are you happy now?" Sirius inquired a dark look on his face. "You just had to go and start talking about that?"

"I don't know what-"

"Oh come on! You're saying that you never noticed that Harry really hates when someone thinks they know him better than himself?"

"But- but I didn't…"

"You can tell him that in a few days," Sirius said as he, too, walked towards the kitchen door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go to make sure he doesn't blow something up." With that Sirius exited the room, shooting a dark glare at Mrs. Weasley as he went.

*_*_*

Sirius found Harry in his room, pacing.

"How does she dare?! She has no right to think that she knows what I want!! And she had no right to start blaming you!! I so wanted to hit her! I mean, really! Who does she think she is?!" Harry was panting and slumped to his bed, still steaming.

Sirius tilted his head as he approached the bed, casting strong locking and silencing charms on the door. Not that he thought they'd be bothered by anyone. Just to be sure.

"Better?" Sirius asked as he climbed on top of Harry, sitting on his stomach.

Harry sighed and opened his eyes, smiling a little. "Much. Been wanting to tell her off for a while now."

"I think you did quite well."

"You do?"

"Yeah. Maybe she'll collect her jaw from the floor somewhere next week." Sirius grinned slyly, not feeling sorry for the woman for a second. She deserved it.

Harry grinned as well and then the look in his eyes changed. He reached up and slid his hand into Sirius' hair, pulling him down so that he was lying on top of Harry.

"Finally," Harry murmured as he ran his fingers in Sirius' hair, making it even messier.

Sirius leaned down and nipped Harry's lower lip. Then he licked it and Harry opened his mouth, allowing Sirius to slip his tongue in.

Sirius slid his hand into Harry's hair, grabbing it gently and tilting Harry's head back so that he could deepen the kiss. Their tongues were gently massaging each other and Sirius felt Harry's hand in his hair to tighten its grip and pull him even closer. Harry threw his other leg around Sirius' waist and pulled it down so that their hips were grounding against each other. When air became an essential Sirius pulled away as much as possible and grinned lustfully.

"Someone wants something," Sirius teased as he ground their hips even more together, making Harry gasp.

"You don't say?" Harry answered, eyes getting dark. "I'm afraid I might not be the only one." Harry moved his hips a bit upwards and earned a moan from Sirius.

Sirius leaned in again, this time almost crushing Harry's lips with the kiss but Harry gladly received it, putting the same amount of heat into it.

Sirius' hand was under Harry's shirt and he enjoyed the feeling of bare, hot skin against his palm. He slid his hand up and caressed Harry's nipple, while his other hand took the duty to mess Harry's hair more that it already was.

Harry groaned and arched his chest towards Sirius' hand, enjoying the touch. His shirt was soon gone in a flicker of fabric and his chest was free feast for Sirius.

Sirius licked and sucked his way down, circling the right nipple with his tongue, not touching it directly while his hand was working on Harry's pants, opening the button and unzipping them. He slipped his hand inside and gave Harry's groin a quick squeeze that made Harry yelp and buck his hips upwards. Sirius just continued to caress Harry's hard-on through his boxers while taking his nipple in his mouth and sucking it hard. Harry was panting and slipped his hand into Sirius' hair, making him suck harder, while his other hand made its way to his groin to press Sirius' hand more firmly against his erection.

Sirius' hand met Harry's halfway down and prevented it from going anywhere. Now he wasn't touching Harry at all, apart from his mouth and soon that too was lifted away. Harry moaned at losing the touch and Sirius chuckled lightly, voice filled with temptation.

"A bit eager, are we now?"

"Please, just touch me Sirius! You're making me go mad!" Harry pleaded.

Sirius just chuckled again as he slid on top of Harry again, pressing the boy's hand against the mattress above his head.

"You move a bit too much," Sirius said and grabbed Harry's other hand as well, lifting it to join the other. "Should we do something about that, hmm?"

Harry just looked at him with dark eyes, still panting a little.

"I take that as a yes," Sirius said and got off Harry, sliding off the bed. Harry raised himself to lean on his elbows and watched as Sirius picked something up from one of the drawers. Harry didn't see what it was. As Sirius made his way back to the bed he took his shirt off, noticing that Harry licked his lips a bit. Sirius grinned slyly as he climbed back to the bed. Harry'd moved so that he was leaning against the pillows. Good, it made this a little easier.

"Sirius, what're you-" Harry was cut off by Sirius, who had his hands next to Harry's sides, kissing him quiet. Harry felt his hand being lifted up again, only this time against the head board of the bed. He gasped as he felt something wrapping around his wrist and fastening it tightly to the board. And same with the other. Harry suddenly realized that Sirius had tied him to his bed and looked at the other man with wide eyes. Sirius just grinned in a way that made bottom of Harry's stomach fall off and his erection to become achingly hard.

Sirius slowly came on top of Harry, crawling on all fours and not touching him. He brought his lips nearly against Harry's and smiled when the younger one tried to catch them in a kiss. Sirius pressed Harry's head firmly against the pillows and gave him a feather-light peck on the lips, teasing.

"You know, there was another reason for me to give you that earring," Sirius whispered in Harry's ear, making him shiver.

"Wha-what?"

Sirius licked Harry's ear and sucked the skin behind it.

"Not an innocent one, I can assure you," he said, breathing warmly into Harry's ear. "You see, I wanted too see what you would look like when I fucked you senseless from behind, your face filled with pleasure and calling my name, that earring swinging along with my thrusts."

Harry swallowed hard and twitched a bit.

"A pleasant image?" Sirius teased as he ran his tongue along Harry's jaw line and neck. He traced his way down straight to Harry's groin and bit his erection gently through the boxers, making Harry groan and wrench his bindings a bit. Sirius slid his hands to Harry's hipbones and grabbed his jeans and boxers, pulling them off teasingly slow. Once they -along with Harry' socks- had disappeared to somewhere in the room, Sirius started to suck Harry's hips, leaving a hickey or two behind. He then licked the tip of Harry's cock with the tip of his tongue, making Harry squirm and pant.

Sirius grabbed Harry's hips and pushed them to the mattress, forcing him to still as he took Harry in his mouth all the way. Harry cried out and arched his back, biting his lower lip to prevent himself from yelling any more.

"I want to hear you," Sirius said as he sucked Harry's length. Harry just shook his head a bit.

"There're wards around the room, they won't hear you," Sirius said and slicked his fingers with saliva, pressing one finger on Harry's entrance. Harry moaned a little as Sirius rubbed his finger against Harry before suddenly pulling away completely. Harry opened his eyes as he felt Sirius move closer. He saw Sirius grab a pillow from next to Harry's head and then retreating back to between Harry's spread legs.

Sirius grinned a little as he lifted Harry's hips and put the pillow under it, making Harry to bend his legs a bit towards his chest. Perfect.

"Comfy?" Sirius asked as he sucked the back of Harry's thigh, now fully exposed. All he heard was a muffled groan but Sirius took that as a yes as he bent his head down and sucked Harry's hole, licking it once in a while. Harry's moans grew louder when Sirius reached out a bit and stroked his cock.

Sirius lifted his head and slipped two thoroughly slick fingers inside Harry, making him shiver and moan as Sirius started sucking Harry's erection once again. He'd been teasing Harry for so long now that he came in a matter of seconds after Sirius had found the spot, arching his back and screaming for Sirius. Sirius kept moving his fingers inside Harry as the boy was trying to recover from his mind blowing orgasm.

Harry was panting and trembling as he felt Sirius' fingers still moving in and out of him. He moaned softly and shook his head.

"Please, no more, Siri. You're killing me…"

Sirius didn't say anything; he just pulled away and climbed on top of Harry, rubbing himself to Harry's ass. He still had his jeans on and Harry gasped at the feeling of the fabric against him. Sirius moved his hips a bit, pushing towards Harry and tilted his head when Harry leaned his head against the pillows, his mouth in a silent scream. Sirius bent down so that his forehead was against Harry's and grabbed his legs, bending them down more. Harry could do naught but moan loudly as he felt Sirius' hardness' warmth pressing against him through the jeans.

Sirius suddenly let go of Harry, untying his hands at the same time. Harry's hands flopped down and he just looked at Sirius before reaching for his jeans to take them off. Sirius grabbed Harry's hand and shook his head.

"Roll over," was all that he said. Harry obeyed and felt Sirius' hand under his waist, pulling it up. They hadn't done it like this yet, so Harry wasn't sure what to expect. He heard Sirius unzipping his pants and snaking out of them.

Harry felt Sirius move closer and then his cock was pressed against Harry's ass. Harry muffled his moan into the pillow and arched his back as he felt Sirius slipping in. It hurt a bit at first but Harry had long ago gotten used to it. In fact, the little pain seemed to perk up Harry's senses and make the sex even more enjoyable, if possible.

Harry was panting heavily. Sirius was now in all the way and Harry couldn't suppress a loud moan of pleasure as Sirius pulled out, only to thrust back in. Harry was groaning loudly and bending even lower on the bed, lifting his ass up towards Sirius. This felt too good…

Harry felt a hand snaking around his throat and yelped in surprise as Sirius yanked his upper body away from the mattress; only the tips of his fingers were touching it as Sirius made Harry arch his back even more as he was gently being pulled towards Sirius, bent from his lower back, making his ass push back against Sirius' hips.

Sirius' other hand was on Harry's waist, keeping it steady as he plunged in and out at a faster and faster pace. Harry was almost screaming in pleasure at this point. His right hand had found its way into Sirius' hair, as his left one was resting atop of Sirius' on his waist. His head was bent back and it was nearly leaning against Sirius' shoulder. Sirius' hand was still on Harry's throat, slightly squeezing it and making Harry's breathing a bit uneasy.

Harry's chest rose in an irregular pattern and then his breath was hitched in his throat as he came, shivering and trembling, Sirius' name on his lips. Harry felt Sirius still behind him and heard a small groan behind his ear before Sirius came panting.

Sirius' grip on Harry loosened and Harry found himself lying on the bed, Sirius on top of him, still inside.

*_*_*

"Well? Were you distracted from the horror that is your mind?" Sirius asked after a while.

A smile spread across Harry's face as he answered, eyes still closed. "Very much."

"Good then." Sirius licked Harry's nape softly and snaked his hand around Harry's, entwining their fingers.

They laid in silence for a long while. Sirius started to pull away from Harry and Harry moaned loudly, lifting his ass towards Sirius.

"Don't do that," Sirius whined as he slumped back on top of Harry.

"Sorry," Harry moaned. "Feels good…"

"Hmm?" Sirius moved his hips a bit, thrusting towards Harry, making him moan slightly.

"Now look at what you did," Sirius whispered huskily in Harry's ear, mock- hurt. "I'm all hard again."

"I didn't do anything."

"Sure you didn't. Now take responsibility."

Harry didn't answer but squeezed his ass around Sirius' already hard cock, making him groan into Harry's shoulder.

"You asked for it. Don't come telling me tomorrow that your ass hurts," Sirius said before rising a bit, taking Harry's hips with him. Harry himself was already hard, clutching the sheets and whimpering when Sirius moved.

Sirius moved slowly in and out, enjoying the little noises that Harry was making under him.

He moved his hand around Harry's waist to touch him and watched with a small smile as Harry groaned and lifted his back a bit, now leaning to his hands.

"Harder," Harry pleaded and whimpered as Sirius complied. Harry leaned his head on the mattress, still keeping his back up like a cat, his hands clutching the sheets as he moaned in pleasure. Sirius bent over him, entwining their fingers again. Harry adapted to Sirius' hips' movements and he heard Sirius moan slightly as well.

Sirius rocked their bodies slowly. He moved his hand around Harry's cock and the younger wizard come with a silent yelp. Sirius half-closed his eyes as he felt Harry's ass contracting around him and came with a small content sigh.

They slumped to the bed and Harry felt Sirius pulling away, only to wrap his hands tightly around Harry and press against him with his whole body. Harry sighed, saturated, before nuzzling deeper into Sirius' warmth and resting his head on Sirius' shoulder.

"You know," Harry said sleepily," I don't even want to know what she'd say if she found out that I've drank half a bottle of Firewhiskey."

Sirius didn't need to ask who Harry meant. He buried his face in Harry's hair and muffled a giggle.

"That's why we won't ever tell her."

*_*_*

When Harry woke up the following morning the first thing he noticed was that his ass hurt like hell-again. Harry groaned and nuzzled deeper into Sirius' side, flinging his leg over the other mans waist. He had no idea what time it was and quite frankly he didn't want to know. To Hell with the world! Harry just wanted to be glued to Sirius as much as possible for now, before spending what felt like an eternity away from him until they could meet again in the Christmas Holidays. A million years away, that one was.

Harry was able to doze off for a while before he was woken up to a loud grumble. Blinking, Harry looked at Sirius who was staring at his own stomach with a murderous glare.

"Hungry?" Harry asked with a crooked grin.

"A little," Sirius admitted.

"A little? It sounded like a roar to me…"

Sirius snorted.

"Want to go to eat, Siri?"

"I'd much rather be cooped up in here than go downstairs," Sirius said, nuzzling into Harry's neck with a small puff.

Harry giggled.

"Oy! That tickles! By the way, why don't we just call for Kreacher? It could bring us some food so that you won't starve to death. "

Sirius lifted his head and tilted it a bit. "You know, I'm getting a bit worried. You sound smarter by the day!"

"Only because you get dumber by the day. Must be because of the sex. It's clearly destroying your brain cells."

"Is not!" Sirius yelled and rolled on top of Harry, starting to tickle him to death.

"Siri!-" giggle "-stop it-" snicker "-If I die from laughter you'll never get laid again!"

Sirius stopped immediately. "That's a low blow, Harry!"

"But true."

Harry's smile was angelic as Sirius gazed at him.

"Kreacher!" Sirius called as he'd slumped back against the bed. The house-elf appeared with a crack.

"You summoned me, Master?" Kreacher bowed.

"Could you get us some food, Kreacher? And not a word about this-" Sirius gestured to himself and Harry, "-to anyone. Understood?"

Harry could've sworn he saw a little happy smile on Kreachers face as it bowed and disappeared with another crack.

"How long can we stay like this before they start to suspect something?" Harry asked.

"Just for today, I'm afraid."

Harry sighed and pressed a kiss to Sirius' shoulder, biting it.

"Ouch! Don't go biting innocent people if you're hungry!"

"I'm sure your dislike was great," Harry said as he licked the spot he'd just bitten. "And if I remember correctly, you bit me last night as well. Fair is only fair as I'm quite sure you weren't hungry then."

"You sure?" Sirius asked as he slipped his hand in Harry's hair, admiring his features in the faint sunlight beams that had managed to penetrate the room.

Harry tilted his head and was about to answer when Kreacher re-appeared. It looked a bit disheveled.

"What happened to you?" Harry asked worriedly, looking at the elf that was trembling and opening and closing its mouth like a fish in dry land.

"Kreacher, you are allowed to say anything you want in here, except if I directly tell you no, understood?" Sirius said.

The house-elf just nodded, trembling slightly under the huge tray but not from weakness. It laid the tray to the ground before it started to fume.

"That- that _woman_!! How does she dare?! She has no right to harass Kreacher about its Master and about Harry, sir! The minute Kreacher went back to the kitchen after being summoned that ****** tried to pry about business that has nothing to do with her!!!"

Kreacher finished and looked terrified at what it'd just said.

"Kreacher, I forbid you to hurt yourself over what you just said," Sirius said quickly, now in a sitting position.

Kreacher looked highly relieved as it picked the tray up again and made its way towards the bed.

It laid the tray on the foot of the bed, bowing a little.

Sirius reached for the tray, picking up something, Harry couldn't see what.

"Cream?" Sirius asked as he raised an eyebrow at Kreacher that looked highly pleased with itself.

"And pudding?"

Kreacher bowed a little.

"Kreacher thought that Master and Harry, sir, would find it- entertaining," Kreacher said as it tried its hardest to fight back the smile that it knew was curling its lips.

"I see." Sirius was trying not to smile himself. "I forbid you to come in here, Kreacher, until I or Harry call for you. You can't bring anyone here when you show up; either can you talk about this to anyone. Understood?"

Now the smile really cracked Kreachers face in two.

"Understood, Master. I hope you have- enjoyable time…" With that, the house-elf disappeared.

Harry crawled towards Sirius and snaked his arm around Sirius' waist, placing a small kiss on the other man's lower back before licking it gently. Sirius turned around and grabbed Harry's chin, lifting his head. Harry tilted his head a bit.

"Did I hear the word cream?" Harry asked, licking his lips slowly before his tongue slipped back in his mouth.

Sirius grinned slyly. "You might've," he said. "But I need a bit of energy before I can spend the day banging you senseless."

Sirius turned around, releasing Harry's chin and giving the food tray his whole attention. Harry soon joined him and it didn't take them long to destroy every piece of food that was on the plates, save for the cream, pudding and some liquid that tasted like strawberries, at least if you believed the etiquette that was plastered on the bottle. Sirius moved the tray to the floor once they were finished and before Harry realized, Sirius had him pinned against the mattress once again, lying on top of him.

Sirius just looked at Harry for a while before he started smiling. "Cream?"

*_*_*

The other occupants of Grimmauld Place didn't see Harry or Sirius the whole day after Harry's and Mrs. Weasleys argument. Mrs. Weasley tried to squeeze information out of Kreacher but she had as much answers if she'd been interrogating a doorknob. The rest of the Weasleys and Hermione just admired the little elf silently as it avoided all of Molly Weasleys Questions. The two only times Kreacher seemed to be summoned by Sirius was first at around two in the afternoon and then about nine in the evening. Kreacher seemed highly pleased with itself as it came to the kitchen after taking the tray to Sirius and Harry around two. In fact, it was smiling widely. But when Mrs. Weasley asked it about it, the elf just closed up and went to prepare for lunch. At nine it went when Sirius summoned it, returned, prepared a huge tray of food and went back. When Kreacher came back it was once again questioned by Mrs. Weasley, to which Kreachers only answer was: "Kreacher has been forbidden to say anything."

*_*_*

The next morning saw Harry walking to the kitchen.

_Thank God it's empty._

Harry walked to the oven and started to make himself coffee. He heard someone coming in but didn't turn to look who it was. It wasn't Sirius and that was a reason enough for him not to turn around. As the coffee was nearly ready Harry made himself a sandwich and poured a cup of coffee. He turned around and made his way towards the table, finally looking who was in the kitchen with him.

_Great. Just great!_

It was Ginny. She just sat there and watched as Harry sat down on the other side of the table, flipping the Daily Prophet open.

Harry raised his eyebrow at the headline. They just couldn't get enough of him and Sirius. The photo this time was apparently from their few days back visit to Diagon Alley and Muggle London. It had been taken around ten in the evening, when Harry and Sirius had been flipping in and out from countless stores. This particular one was from when Sirius had pulled a laughing Harry out of one of the shops. Harry watched as the picture-Harry staggered a bit and nearly flung into Sirius' arms.

Harry smiled faintly. It had been one hell of a day… In more than just one way.

Ginny watched as Harry looked at the picture on the front page, a small smile spreading across his face before it was swept away by a dark look.

Harry started to eat his breakfast, neglecting Ginny completely. He had nothing to say to her.

"Harry?" Ginny's voice was wavering a bit.

Harry looked up and saw that Ginny was fingering the tips of her hair and biting her lip, not looking at Harry.

Ginny glanced up briefly and at seeing that Harry was looking at her, she blushed and resumed to her fingering.

"You- you know… I don't believe what the Prophet is writing about you and Sirius. Not at all!"

Harry tried to keep the smile out of his face.

_You know, for once you should believe what the 'never' wrong Daily Prophet is writing…_

"And- and… I just wanted to tell you that-that- that I- that I really- really like you…" Ginny glanced up again and nearly started to cry when she saw the nothingness that was Harry's face.

Harry tilted his head a bit, finishing his coffee. "Did your mother ask you to say that?"

"What? No! NO, Harry, I really do like you!"

"And you decided this moment to tell me that?"

"Harry!" Now it was Mrs. Weasley, coming through the door. She'd clearly been eavesdropping behind it. "Don't go stamping on others feelings! Hers are genuine!"

Harry turned to look at Ginny and made an apologetic smile before caressing her cheek with his hand.

"I'm sorry, Ginny, if your feelings are true. But I have to tell you that I don't feel the same towards you. It wouldn't be fair to you if I didn't."

Ginny was on the verge of crying. "But maybe, during time-"

Harry just shook his head and swept a tear from the girls face.

"My feelings for you won't change. I love you like a little sister but that is all that you'll get from me. Please don't expect more." With that, Harry turned towards Mrs. Weasley.

"Clearly you didn't hear me correctly the other day, so I'll say it again very clearly: Stay - the - fuck - out - of - my - life!" Harry once again stormed out of the kitchen – this seemed to be becoming a habit- and nearly bumped into Ron and Hermione.

"Mate, what-" That was as far as Ron got before Harry glanced towards the kitchen and ran up the stairs. He went to the library and started to read the book that Professor Lupin had given him, trying hard not to throw it across the room and start cursing at anything and everything. This was how Ron and Hermione found him an hour later, only change was that the book lay on the couch and Harry was pacing around the room, clenching his fists.

"Harry?" Hermione asked tentatively, sitting at the edge of the sofa, Ron next to her. Harry turned towards them and raised an eyebrow.

"What d'you want?" Harry asked, leaning against one of the bookshelves, tilting his head and crossing his arms. "If it has the words Mrs. and Weasley on it I'll hex you both into next week", Harry said with a charming smile.

"Not really. Just wanted to know how you're doing, mate. I mean, we've lived here for almost a month and really spoken to you about, what? Three times?"

"True," Harry said.

At seeing that their friend wasn't going to burst on them, Ron and Hermione clearly sighed in relief.

"So, how are you, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry's smile widened until it lightened the whole room and Hermione and Ron had to blink for a few seconds. They'd never seen their friend quite this happy and the change from Harry fuming just seconds ago to this was quite- stunning.

"I'm great," Harry said, unfolding his arms and walking to the armchair left to the sofa, back against the door. Harry lifted his legs on the table and looked at his friends.

"So how did you like my present?" Ron asked.

Harry's smile got even wider and he raised his hand, shaking his sleeve down to reveal the holster. "I loved it. Where on Earth did you get it?"

Ron grinned as well. "Bill found it. In Egypt, I think. Anyway, those are really rare, there are only about half a dozen of them left… Hermione got you books, right?"

Hermione whacked Ron in the head. "Books are good, Ronald Weasley!"

Harry just laughed at the mock-hurt expression on Ron's face.

"Actually, I loved them. I've read them both through at least twice. And I got a book from Professor Lupin as well."

"Professor Lupin sent you a present?"

"Yup. It came with Sirius'."

"What did Sirius give you?"

"A trunk."

"A trunk?" Hermione frowned. "But you already have one."

"This one isn't actually the ordinary kind. It has at least four keyholes. It's a bit like Moody's trunk."

Ron's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Wow! Those are extremely expensive, not to mention top-rare!"

Harry grinned. "It's quite convenient to have a filthy rich Godfather, especially when said Godfather had a vault full of gold _before_ the Ministry gave him another one full of money."

"Aha! So that's why you like my company so much! Because I'm filthy rich."

Sirius had walked into the room and heard Harry's last comment. He came to lean onto the back rest of Harry's chair and peered down at Harry, a mock-hurt expression on his face.

"I'm hurt here, truly, Sunny boy."

"Why else do you think I'd put up with you, Sirry-Birry?"

"Because I'm sinfully handsome and you like to hear me talk? Plus you worship the ground I walk on, of course."

"You are terribly misled, Siri," Harry shook his head in mock-disappointment. "And here I thought better of you."

"Careful now, Harrykins. Don't forget that I can curse you whenever I feel like it. So don't push it."

"You wouldn't curse me."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "And do tell me, why not?"

"Because you'd miss my charming company, of course."

"Sure, and pigs fly."

"After a levitation charm they tend to do that."

"You!"

Harry giggled and gasped as he was hit with a tickling charm. He curled up in a ball and started to laugh his head off.

Sirius walked in front of Harry and lifted his chin.

"Take it back!"

"NO!" Harry was able to say between his giggles.

Ron and Hermione smiled at the scene before them. It was clearly Sirius' doing that Harry was so cheerful.

"Sirius? You might want to lift the charm before Harry dies because he can't breathe anymore," Hermione said after a while, as Harry didn't seem to yield and Sirius didn't look like he was going to release Harry anytime soon.

With an exaggerated sigh Sirius lifted the charm and looked at Harry who was a panting lump in his chair, a smile still on his face.

"Thanks, Hermione," Harry gasped.

Sirius snorted. "By the way, you want to look at your trunk a bit more? You've had it for a month and a half now."

"Do you mind?" Harry asked his friends.

"No," they said and watched as Harry got up a bit wobbly and stagger towards the door.

*_*_*

Harry and Sirius went to Harry's room and sat on the floor. Sirius locked the door and put up silencing charms.

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"A bit suggestive, now are we?"

"Not in the slightest. I just don't want to be interrupted during this one. Putting all the charms on the trunk requires a complete concentration, you know."

"Then you can't do it as I'm pretty sure that you can concentrate on something for two seconds at most."

"I can concentrate completely on something if I want to."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. And I think that you were there to witness it yesterday," Sirius said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Harry laughed. "Okay, I believe you. What are you going to do with the trunk?"

"Put a few protecting charms, key it to your touch… The top protection. And once you're in the school and can do magic, you can add as many jinxes, hexes, curses and charms on it. I'd like to see the person who'd try to touch the trunk after we're finished."

"If I can get some idiot to do it, I'll send you a picture," Harry said with a wink.

First Sirius enlarged the trunk and gave Harry the keys. There were five of them, instead of four. Harry put the first key into the lock and opened the trunk. The first section was for his clothes, the second for his books, the third for his Quidditch supplies, the fourth one was reserved for his personal things and the fifth one took Harry by surprise. The first quarter was filled with photos. Of Harry's parent's, of the Marauders during school (Wormtail had left the pictures), of James, of Lily and finally of Harry and Sirius. Two of them were the ones on the Daily Prophet and at least two dozen of others.

"When…?" Harry couldn't finish but Sirius understood.

"Kreacher's been taking them along the month," Sirius explained and looked at one of the pictures. He and Harry were curled up on a sofa in the library, their fingers playing with each other's. The book that laid between them was the one that Remus had given Harry. The picture, along with all the others, was emitting happiness.

"You don't have to take them," Sirius said after a moment of silence as Harry'd been just gazing into the trunk. "I just thought-"

Sirius was cut off when Harry crawled into his lap and kissed the words away.

"I love it," Harry whispered as he hugged Sirius tightly. "There's so many of them…"

"Yeah, well. James liked to look at a picture with Lily on it and vice versa so… I found them while we were cleaning. Got duplicated every picture I thought you'd like."

Harry didn't know what to say. So he kissed Sirius, trying to convey all of his feeling during that kiss.

"Careful now, or I'll have to break my plans," Sirius said as Harry pulled away, resting his forehead against Sirius'.

"What plan?"

"I thought I'd suppress all contact with you to minimum and then the night before you leave fuck your brains out," Sirius said with an angelic smile.

Harry narrowed his eyes.

"Quite the evil plan you've got there. Sure you can live up to it?"

"Positive. I'm stubborn as hell or that's at least what Moony keeps telling me. And I have an irony control over myself. If not, I would've spent nine tenth of my time in detention during Hogwarts, as I'd have started laughing at the wrong moment."

"You're not modest at all, are you?"

"Why should I be? Besides, you love me for it," Sirius said and winked.

A small smile curled Harry's lips as he just shook his head in mock-disbelief.

* * *

Well, there it is, once again.

Liked it? Hated it? Lemme know.

*Psychiatric counseling room*

Sirius (the doctor again): So, what is it this time, Dowash? Did my Sunny boy say something to you again?

Dowash: *sits curled up in her armchair* No. I'm just feeling a bit low-spirited at the moment. My plot-bunny got stuck in the washing machine.

Sirius: I see. And what was it doing there in the first place?

Dowash: *looks at Sirius* Have you read the past few chapters?

Sirius: Of course I have. And I liked the content. Never knew Harry was so horny all the time.

Dowash: That's exactly my point. Think what it does to my plot-bunny to crank all that out! It was nearly completely black when I was finished!

Sirius: *chuckles* and there's even more dirtier to come, right?

Dowash: Of course! Just who do you think I am? I'm just so tired right now... Nothing seems to work out properly. Some reviews might cheer me up...

Sirius: Are you suggesting something here?

Dowash: Not at all! I was just thinking that the 'review'-button looks so tempting from where I'm sitting. I can't understand how people can miss it. It's so cute!

Sirius: Dowash? Do you need a shrink? I did _not_ hear you just say that a button looks cute!

Dowash: Of course you didn't, hun! What're you thinking about?!

Sirius: Harry.

Dowash: *snorts* Should've guessed. So, what's the prescription, doc?

Sirius: Over seven reviews for this chapter. Before that, no updating.

Dowash: You're so mean! So, before it goes over 26 I can't update?

Sirius: Exactly.

Dowash: Meanie. Well, on you go readers, then! Press the little white and green button to cheer up my day! Sirius has got the hold of this fic on my PC so his word is my law. Sorry, huns! Blame him, not me!

Sirius: Hey!

...

To be continued?


	7. Chapter 7

Hello again! I'm so happy! 31 reviews!

I'm feeling lazy right now... I haven't written this fic for a while at all. But no worries! I have 249 pages of this on my PC so even though my plot-bunny isn't pouncing right now, the updates will be continuing!

And I don't even need to do the disclaimer right now. Sirius and Harry are away for their tear(or something else?)-filled goodbyes, so they can't go lying to you that some lady in England owns you. HAH! Whatcha think 'bout that, lads?

Harry: *presently under Sirius but hey, who would want to know that ;)* Dowash, there you go again. And may I remind you that you're writing this next to our bed? So we can see what you're writing.

Dowash: Aww, but you're busy, right?

Sirius: That we are. So shoo off. I want to continue the goodbyes.

Dowash: I bet you do. Mind if I stay to observe? *digs out her binoculars*

Harry: Yes we do. I want some privacy, after all.

Dowash: Not gettin'! There're tons of fan girls out there who're dying to read you and Sirius getting hot & heavy!

Sirius: Then they'll like this chapter. I get to have my wicked way with Harry again.

Dowash: And that's exactly why my plot-bunny is going to need some heavy bleaching.

Harry: Yeah well. Think about my poor ass here!

Dowash: No mercy, Harry. I only listen to Sirius on these things.

Sirius: And it works! Now, enjoy the chapter!

-

_Harry thinking_

**Sirius thinking**

**-**

**

* * *

  
**

The few days before going back to Hogwarts were spent in a tension, at least between Harry and Mrs. Weasley. She still didn't seem to understand why Harry didn't want to be taken care of and why he'd rejected Ginny, because to her mind, they would've been the best of couples. As such, Harry was greatly surprised when Molly apologised to him during dinner. It was his last night at Grimmauld Place and Kreacher had prepared a magnificent feast for Harry. And the others as well, of course.

"Harry?" Mrs. Weasley said.

Harry turned his gaze from his plate to meet Mrs. Weasleys. His mind was starting to be sweetly somewhere else as he waited for the moment he and Sirius could escape to their rooms. Therefore what she said next nearly passed Harry unheard.

"I'm sorry."

Harry just looked at her. He hadn't been expecting this.

"I shouldn't have had said those things and I'm deeply sorry. But you need to understand that I only meant the best for you. I think you've suffered enough as it is- " Mrs. Weasley quickly closed her mouth as she realized where she was heading with her little speech.

Harry nodded and gave Mrs. Weasley a small smile.

"As long as you understand what I said to you I accept your apology."

Mrs. Weasley clearly sighed in relief.

After a half an hour Harry finally succeeded in dragging Sirius up the stairs. Although his success might just have had something to do with the fact that everyone else went to bed as well. Just to be safe Harry and Sirius entered their respectful rooms and after a nerve-racking twenty minutes Harry decided that someone wouldn't get the idea of having a little night-talk with him and sneaked into Sirius' room.

Harry was pinned to the wall the second he entered the room and had an extremely eager Sirius sucking his lips. Harry groaned a little and slipped his hands into Sirius' hair, pulling him closer.

They really_ were_ going to be at it all night…

*_*_*

The first thing Sirius did when he woke up the following morning was to stifle a very large yawn.

**8.28. Charming.**

Sirius' guess was that it had been nearly four in the morning when he and Harry had finally started to sleep. He looked towards the weight in his chest and smiled tiredly when he saw Harry's sleeping face. The boy was lying on his left side, arm and leg swung over Sirius' torso as Harry's cheek was resting comfortably against Sirius' shoulder.

Harry was smiling faintly in his sleep, looking happy. The smile widened as Sirius ran his fingers feather-light along Harry's spine. Sirius hated what he had to do next but if not, Harry would soon have half-a-dozen people behind his bedroom door, no matter that there was no-one in the room right now.

Sirius sighed and shook Harry's shoulder gently. The teen just moaned a bit before nuzzling deeper into Sirius' side. Sirius sighed a little louder. He really didn't want to wake Harry up. He took Harry's chin and moved his face so that he could kiss him lightly. Sirius heard Harry hum a bit before he opened his mouth and allowed Sirius to enter. Only after a long while Sirius retreated and flopped his head back on the pillows.

"G'morning," Harry muttered as he licked his lips. He was always in a good mood when Sirius woke him up.

"Morning," Sirius said, sliding his hand through Harry's hair.

Harry leaned to the touch with a small smile before slipping on top of Sirius, kissing him contently. Their legs were entwined and Harry felt Sirius' hand sliding down his body, pulling him even more up. Harry chuckled into Sirius' mouth as he felt fingers circling his ass.

"You just can't get enough of me, huh?" Harry whispered into Sirius' ear as he was sucking the skin behind it.

"Should I?" Sirius asked and raised an eyebrow, squeezing Harry.

"Mmm-hmm. No."

Harry moved his legs so that he was straddling Sirius and muffled a groan into Sirius' neck as he felt slicky fingers sliding into him.

"What time is it?"

"You know, that's something I wasn't expecting you to ask when I'm doing something highly pleasurable to you," Sirius said with a mock-offended tone, biting Harry's neck and sucking him a hickey.

"Mmm… Just wanted to ask so that I know how much time we have," Harry muttered into the pillow, sighing a bit in pleasure.

"Well-," Sirius turned to look as the clock, "- it's 8.35 at the moment. We need to leave around ten so no rush."

"Goo- haah. Good."

Harry thrust his hips back a bit, urging Sirius to be more forceful. No way in hell the other man hadn't noticed that Harry was hard again.

"I must admire you young people," Sirius whispered into Harry's ear as he felt Harry's heat against his stomach. "No matter how many times you come you're hard again in a matter of minutes."

"Must have something to do with the other person…" Harry's voice was starting to be a bit shaky. He moved his hips according to Sirius' fingers and this led to the pleasurable fact that his hard-on was rubbing against Sirius, making Harry moan at the feeling of the friction.

Sirius pulled his fingers out and Harry almost screamed at this. He felt Sirius' hand on his waist, pulling him down until his butt was sweetly met with Sirius' cock.

Harry felt Sirius' hand on his chest, pushing him up. Harry suddenly realized what Sirius was after and opened his eyes, looking down. Sirius was looking at him, his head a bit tilted and eyebrow raised. But not in an amused way, just asking Harry if he wanted to do it.

Harry licked his lips slowly and pure lust floated into his eyes. He reached down and grabbed Sirius' cock in his hand. He found a lubricant between the sheets and squeezed some of it into his hands that were behind his back, and then slid his hand up and down Sirius' erection, earning a small muffled groan from the other man. Harry moved his legs a bit and lifted his bottom so that the tip of Sirius' cock was rubbing against his hole.

Harry inched down and bent his head back, a moan escaping his parted lips. Sirius' hands were steadily on Harry's hips as the teen sat firmly atop Sirius, his cock now all the way in. Harry bit his lips and stifled a loud guttural voice as he slid back up only to come quickly back down. Harry continued this pleasurable movement for a while and couldn't suppress his voice anymore as he moved forwards to lean on his hands that were now on the mattress at the same level as Sirius' shoulders. Harry whimpered loudly as he moved his hips forwards and backwards, not moving up at all. He tilted his head a bit and looked at Sirius.

Sirius' eyes were half-closed and he was biting his lip a bit, panting softly. Harry leant towards Sirius even more and captured his lips in a passionate kiss, slipping his tongue in. Sirius' hand made it's way to Harry's hair, pulling him down more before Sirius flung them around, now lying on top of Harry with his whole weight.

Sirius grabbed Harry's thighs and bent them towards the mattress, getting the space to thrust deeper.

Harry was nearly bent in two and arched his head back, licking his lips. Sirius thrust in and out fast and hard, forcing Harry to abate. Harry flung his arm around Sirius' neck and pulled him in a deep kiss, panting. He clutched Sirius tightly and came while biting his shoulder. Sirius sucked another hickey into Harry's neck before he came with a muffled groan.

They laid there for a long while before Harry sighed.

"You know, for once, I really don't want to go back to Hogwarts," Harry murmured into Sirius' ear.

Sirius kissed him gently. "You have to go, Harry. Besides, you have your communicator and owls are pretty useful as well."

"I'll give poor Hedwig a heart-attack." Harry gave Sirius a lopsided grin.

Sirius glanced at the clock. A bit over nine. He sighed.

"Okay, up we get."

"I have no objections," Harry said and winked.

*_*_*

Ron approached Harry's bedroom with caution. It was a well known fact that Harry usually wasn't in the best of moods in the morning and Ron didn't want to get cursed before he even reached Hogwarts. So, it was to his great surprise when he stepped into Harry's room about half past nine that he saw Harry almost fully dressed, his room clean and his things packed. Ron could've almost sworn to have seen some dark mark around Harry's hip bone before it was covered by the hem of a black turtle-neck shirt. Harry also had his torn jeans on.

"Wow, mate. You're awake!"

"Yup. Sirius woke me up."

Ron could only admire Sirius from his point of view. After all, he didn't know the whole story. Only that Harry could be a real threat to the health sometimes if he had to be woken up.

"Well, breakfast is ready and Mom says that we'll leave around ten."

"Okay." Suddenly Ron felt that Harry's mood went down like a Hippogriffs tail. He frowned a bit but followed his friend to the landing and they nearly bumped into Sirius.

"Whoa! Watch it, Sunny Boy! There are older people going around here!"

Harry tilted his head. "You're old?"

"Am not!"

"You just said you were!"

"I said old_er_, Harrykins, not old."

"True, you're at the emotional level of a three-year-old," Harry said teasingly.

"Am not!" Sirius said before a glint appeared in his eye. He dragged Harry to the top of the stairs and turned to face him. "Last down gets hit by a tickling charm?"

"I don't really… I don't know… OKAY!"

Harry pushed Sirius to the wall and started to run down the stairs at top speed, Sirius not far behind him, shouting 'CHEATER' at the bottom of his lungs. Ron chuckled and made his way down a bit more discreetly, shaking his head. Sometimes he was sure that his friend and his Godfather were more than little nuts.

Harry and Sirius burst into the kitchen as the others were in the middle of eating breakfast.

"I was- first," Harry panted, leaning his hands to his knees, almost bent in two as he tried to catch his breath.

"Don't trick me," Sirius panted. "I was first!"

"The hell you were!" Harry said cheerfully.

Sirius turned towards an amused looking Kreacher.

"Which one was it?"

"It was me, right Kreacher?!" Harry asked. He fully realized that he and Sirius were acting as maturely as four-year-olds but it didn't bother him in the slightest.

"Kreacher must say that Master was here first."

"Hah! You're just saying that because Sirius is the master! Doesn't my pretty face mean anything to you?" Harry asked, looking mock-hurt. Kreachers lips twisted in amusement.

"Don't try to snake out of this one!" Sirius said victoriously, pulling his wand out. "Kreacher, count for ten minutes."

Harry had the time to look mildly mock-horrified before his face twisted in giggles as Sirius hit him with the tickling charm. Harry's legs failed and he slumped onto the floor, rolling around and laughing madly.

"Kreacher?"

"Nine and a half minutes, Master." Kreacher said, looking amused. "Ten."

Sirius lifted the charm and left Harry panting heavily on the floor, his hair a dishevelled mess. Harry stood up shakily and with wobbly legs walked to the table and sank into a chair, trying to stifle a wince of pain as his ass objected this position. Sirius sat in front of Harry on the other side of the table, looking highly pleased with himself.

Kreacher appeared with a huge breakfast and the conversation that had been going on before Sirius' and Harry's arrival continued. As Harry was nearly done Mrs. Weasley turned towards him.

"Harry, dear. Are your things packed?"

"Yup."

"Good. Arthur got some cars from the Ministry so the transport won't be a problem."

Harry turned towards Mr. Weasley.

"Thanks."

"No biggie, Harry," Mr Weasley said. Harry just nodded.

Harry's mood went downer and downer until it was time to leave. As he was walking down the stairs after getting his trunk- it conveniently shrank with Harry's mere touch- Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and was being dragged to the library quicker than he could say 'cat'. Harry heard the door close behind them and then he was tightly hugged by Sirius.

"Cheer up, now won't cha?" Sirius murmured into Harry's hair.

"But I really don't want to go. And I don't want to pretend that it doesn't hurt to leave you here," Harry whispered, his head pressed against Sirius' chest, arms around his waist.

Sirius chuckled sadly. "As I said, owls are pretty useful and you can contact me with your communicator whenever you want. Night or day."

"Three in the morning?" Harry asked, trying to sound a bit more cheerful.

Sirius squeezed Harry a bit harder against him and blew a small warm breath in Harry's ear, making the young man giggle as it tickled. "Even then. Not that I can promise you I'll say anything reasonable."

Harry giggled and rose to his toes, kissing Sirius gently.

"Thanks…"

"Hey, that's why I'm here for! To make your life cheerful and un-boring!"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door and managed to pull away from the embrace just before Ron opened the door put his head inside the room.

"Were leaving."

"Yeah, yeah. Were coming," Harry said.

Ron nodded and retreated from the door. With a sigh Harry followed him.

*_*_*

They arrived at the King's Cross half past ten, with a good half an hour to make their way to the Platform 9 ¾ and board the Hogwarts Express.

Sirius turned once again many heads, not just because he was recognized as _the_ Sirius Black. No. It was also because Sirius had once again decided to look like a sex-God that had decided to grace them with his presence and had floated from Heavens above. He had his worn-out blue jeans, a t-shirt that left nothing for guessing and his leather jacket. His hair once again looked like he'd just sprung out of bed and as he'd been out almost half of the summer, Sirius had acquired quite the good-looking tan, so that he didn't look like a dead body anymore. Not to mention he seemed to be permanently stuck at the age of 27.

Sirius was swinging his hand around as he explained something to Harry as they walked through the gate to the Platform. Then his hands suddenly stopped and dropped to his sides as Sirius looked at the train.

Harry tilted his head a bit, worried. "Sirius?"

No answer.

"Ahoy! Earth to Sirius!" Harry said a little louder, now looking a bit amused. It was fun to watch Sirius to zone off as it was a rare treat.

Sirius blinked and turned to look at Harry. "What?"

"You were zoning off," Harry said. "What on Earth were you thinking?"

Sirius' handsome face clouded a bit and Harry instantly regretted for asking.

"Nothing, just-" Sirius trailed off as he walked along the platform towards the end of the train, Harry following. They left the others behind.

"Just that the last time I was here, James and Lily were still alive and everything was fluffy-fluffy and all doors were open before us and all that crap."

Sirius stopped nearly at the end of the train, his hands deep in his pockets and a small frown in his face. Harry hurried next to him and placed his hand on Sirius' forearm.

"Siri, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"What? Oh, no. It's all right."

Harry looked doubtful.

"Really," Sirius assured before he seemed to push all the bad memories away, giving Harry a grin that lit up the whole area and left the people around them blinking.

"Aww. You were worried about me!" Sirius said, flashing his eyelashes in an exaggerated manner.

"Was not!" Harry mock-pouted.

"Yes you were. Stop lying to yourself, Harrykins," Sirius said with a voice that was seeping sugar. It made Harry grimace in disgust, as it reminded him of his Aunt Petunia and the way she talked to Dudley.

"Please drop that tone. It makes me feel sick," Harry said and pretended to gag.

Sirius gasped and had a mock-hurt expression as he clutched his chest, staggering a few steps backwards.

"You hurt my feelings!" Sirius nearly shouted and the people around them and a bit further away as well turned to look at them.

Harry shook his head. "Sirius, stop being overly dramatic. People are starting to stare."

Sirius dropped his hand and went to stand in front of Harry, face all solemn now.

"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Sirius asked.

"Seriously sure," Harry said with a lopsided smirk. The train whistled and the students still on the platform started to pour into it. Harry looked at Sirius and was about to hug him when Sirius placed his hand on Harry's chest, preventing him. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Sure you want to hug me in public like this? People might get the wrong idea," Sirius said with a wink.

Harry snorted. "Since when have I cared about what other people think?"

Sirius smirked and pulled Harry into a tight embrace, enjoying his warmth and body for as long as possible. But then they had to pull away. With a last blindingly bright smile Sirius pushed Harry gently towards the train, watching as Harry smiled as well before he slided into the mass of students.

Harry gave Sirius a last glance before turning and entering the train among the last, feeling it start to move as they departed from the Platform. Harry had it easier than the others around him as he didn't have to drag a huge trunk (shrunk on his pocket) or a birdcage (the cage was in his trunk and Hedwig had flown into Hogwarts earlier that day) around. Harry walked along the corridors, seeing nothing but full compartments. People looked at him as Harry passed but he just ignored it. He finally found an empty compartment at the end of the train.

Harry stepped in and closed the door, enjoying the silence that enveloped him. Well, as silent as it could be in a train. He took his trunk out of his pocket, put it up to the shelf and enlarged it.

Harry sat on the seat and sighed. He missed Sirius already.

_And I'm supposed to survive for over three months?! Not gonna happen. I'm so gonna have withdrawal symptoms._

Harry decided to read a book. Yes, that was a good distraction.

*_*_*

Harry was sitting cross-legged on his seat, the book Professor Lupin had gave him on his lap. He was still alone and truly appreciated that fact. Ginny had been avoiding him since her confession, Ron and Hermione were Prefects and Fred and George were Merlin only knows where on the train. He was, however, interrupted from his reading about Legilimency and its counter, Occlumency, when the door to the compartment opened.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is." The annoyingly familiar drawling voice made Harry frown a bit and he wasn't surprised in the slightest when he lifted his head and saw Malfoy, along with Grabbe and Goyle, standing on the doorway.

"There's a window for a purpose there, Malfoy. If you don't want to see me, don't bother to come in at all," Harry said as he returned his gaze to the book.

"Potter," Malfoy nearly hissed.

"That indeed is my surname. Glad you could figure that out. _What do you want?_"

Malfoy's face whitened. "How-how dare you…?!"

To Harry, this was starting to feel quite a lot similar to the talk he'd had with Piers Polkiss in the park about a month ago. Even Malfoy's facial expression reminded him of Polkiss.

"How dare I what? You were the one who had to burst in here."

Malfoy tilted his head, clearly mostly recovered from his previous state.

"I see that Black is _rubbing off_ on you."

"And what might you mean by that, Malfoy?" Harry tilted his head as well, as a mock-imitation of Malfoy's gesture.

"You're getting arrogant as hell, Potter. You might want to be cautious, seeing where it led your so-called lover."

"I'm only treating you with the way you deserve. And what the fuck d'you mean by Sirius being my so-called lover?"

_Well, it __**is**__ true, actually… _

"My, my. Haven't you read your share of The Daily Prophet?"

Harry laughed loudly and Malfoy's confidence seemed to waver a bit. He'd clearly been thinking that Harry would blush and deny it or something.

"And you really believe that magazine? Although I'm not surprised, with your background and all."

Malfoy drew his wand. "Don't you dare to insult my family, Potter."

Harry didn't seem to be fazed at all by the wand pointing at him. Or that's what it looked like to Malfoy. In truth, Harry had grabbed his wand in his hand the second he'd noticed someone was coming in.

"So, why're you here Malfoy? Thought that I was gay and you could get your share or something?"

An ugly red blush came to Malfoy's cheeks as he raised his wand.

"Too bad you can't curse me, Potter," Malfoy all but hissed, triumph seeping through his voice. "You'll get into a lot of trouble if you curse a Prefect…"

"As such, we'll prevent that from happening by asking you to leave right this second." Hermione's firm voice was heard from the doorway. "I don't think the Professors will look at it in a positive way if you misuse your position as a Prefect, Malfoy."

Malfoy turned around slowly and was nearly nose to nose with a blazing-eyed Hermione. He clearly suppressed the urge to step backwards as he put his wand in his pocket with a loud snort and stormed out, Grabbe and Goyle on his wake.

Ron and Hermione entered the compartment and Hermione shut the door forcefully.

"That _idiot_!! He's even more intolerable and we haven't even reached the school yet! I'd really like to punch him again!" Hermione was seething as she sat next to Ron, opposite to Harry.

"I highly doubt that'll change his view in life. Although you're welcome to hit him in my behalf as well," Harry said, leaning his head on his hand, his elbow resting on his knee. He was smirking widely.

"Harry, why are you smiling like that?" Ron asked, looking at Harry suspiciously. He'd learnt to connect that smile with an oncoming prank wave.

"Hmm? Oh, no reason."

Hermione and Ron both raised their eyebrows but were nonetheless happy to see their friend in such high spirits.

"So, how was Prefect-Land?" Harry asked, his smirk widening even more as Ron groaned loudly.

"Pure torture, mate. Thank Merlin you were saved for this!"

"But you have your own bathroom, I've heard. And seen, of course."

"That's about the only good thing about this. I mean, I'll be busy _without_ this already!"

"If you'd do your homework on time once we start getting them, you might have more free-time!" Hermione snapped.

Harry sighed inwardly. The whole time they'd been in Grimmauld Place Ron and Hermione had been arguing about something at least once a day.

"So what is it that you have to do?" Harry asked.

"Not much. For now, we have to patrol the corridors once in a while and when in Hogwarts we have to be able to help the first-years. That's about it, except if we're given more assignments."

Ron sighed and sank more into his seat.

"I'm hungry. Did the food-witch go by already?" Ron asked Harry.

Harry shook his head, his earring swinging a bit too and making some- err- interesting memories float into Harry's mind. He tried to keep his face sombre as a lecherous smile tried its hardest to creep on his face.

Harry listened with his other ear the conversation Hermione and Ron were having and read his book, soon completely shutting his friends out.

"HARRY!"

Harry blinked and looked up to see both of his friends staring at him.

"What?" Harry asked.

"We've been calling out to you for few minutes now. What _are_ you reading?"

"The book Professor Lupin gave me."

"What was it again?"

Harry showed her the title.

"_Defence Against the Dark Arts: Mind Magic." _ Hermione's jaw nearly hit the floor as she flung towards Harry, grabbing the book from his hands.

"Oh my Gosh! I've read about this book! Its best on the field and it never gets old! It supposedly has an updating charm on it, so-"

"Hermione," Harry cut in.

"-I've been looking all over for this, it's-"

"Hermione!" Harry nearly shouted, finally getting Hermione to stop her blabbering. "I was reading it!"

"But Harry, you've read it at least a hundred times already, I'm sure! Can't I loan it?"

"No, I want to finish what I started. After that you can read it as many times as you want."

*_*_*

The next hours came and went as Hermione eagerly waited for Harry to stop reading the part about Occlumency and Legilimency. When he was done, the trolley-witch had long ago visited and they were nearly at Hogwarts. Hermione shot Harry a death-glare as the train slowed down and they started to collect themselves out of the train after pulling on their robes.

"I'll give it to you after dinner," Harry said.

Hermione made a disgruntled noise, clearly deciding not to let Harry out of her sight before she'd gotten her hands on the book.

Harry stopped dead on his tracks as they arrived at the wagons. Where last year had been just air, now the wagons were pulled by horse look-a-likes. Only these were black, they had no flesh on their bones making them look like skeletons and their eyes were shining white. When Harry was about to say something about this to his friends, he saw one of the creatures look straight towards him and shake it's serpentine-like head in the slightest. Harry blinked his eyes and didn't have the time to say anything before Ron had pulled him into the wagon. After that it was just an awkward silence as Ginny was sitting there too. She didn't look at Harry at all, just stared out of the window as the cart made its shaky and wobbly way towards the castle. Harry was sitting his face towards the creatures, so he had quite a good look at them. There were two for a cart and they seemed to be quite strong despite their obvious lack of muscles.

The wagons stopped in front of the front doors of Hogwarts and the students started to pour into the Great Hall, speaking with their friends and changing summer experiences. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the middle of the Gryffindor table and it didn't miss Harry that he was, once again the topic of the gossip. At least if you came to the conclusion by looking at the people around him, glancing or down right staring at him while whispering frantically. Harry was sure he didn't want to hear what they were saying.

Ron and Hermione noticed this as well and their faces darkened.

"Really! Don't they have anything better to do?" Hermione hissed, giving a glance that was dripping venom to the few third-year Gryffindors that were sitting near them.

"Now, now, Hermione," Harry said with a sweet smile. "If they want to gossip about The-Boy-Who-Lived's supposed love life let them. At least it won't hurt my reputation," Harry winked.

Hermione and Ron just looked at him with awe.

"Wow, you really deal with this well, mate," Ron said.

"As long as it isn't full bullshit I don't care what the Daily Prophet writes about me," Harry said with a smirk.

"So you're saying that this thing the Prophet has been writing about you isn't full bullshit?" Hermione asked, blinking a little.

"Of course it isn't," Harry's smirk widened as he tapped his fingers against the table, noticing that Ron's and Hermione's jaws were past the floor level by now and everyone in the hearing vicinity was clutching to his every word.

_Wow, never thought this could be this entertaining. I might just cope a teensy-weensy bit better here without Sirius._

Harry tried to suppress a chuckle.

"We have a loving Godfather-Godson kinda relationship of course."

Neither of his friends across the table couldn't comment as the first-years came in. They were a small pack of twice the size of foam extinguishers to Harry's eyes. Harry watched, along with everyone else in the Hall, as the new first-years gathered in front of the teachers table, faces towards the crowd and more than a few of them looked at least mildly horrified.

_Merlin, was I really that small when I first came in here? Maybe. Wouldn't surprise me, the way I lived. Luckily I grew a bit during the summer. Total of 5'7" now. Yay! At least I'm a bit closer to Sirius. Gee! How can someone even be that tall? It's not fair anymore when your lover is 6'4"! That's just an injustice! But it's quite fun though, when- err- Backwards! Back away! Not the right thing to think right now. The sorting. Yes, let's pay attention to the sorting._

But Harry was a bit late for that one. The sorting had just finished and Professor McGonagall'd just removed the Sorting-Hat and the stool from the elevation. If Harry hadn't been so deeply sucked in with his musing, he might've noticed that every one of the newly sorted Gryffindors had thrown a glance in his direction.

Dumbledore stood up to give his speech and Harry concentrated fully on his surroundings again.

"Welcome! To spend another year at Hogwarts! Now, I have a few announcements to make before you dig your teeth to our magnificent feast. Firstly, I'd like to welcome the new first-years and give them a bit of a heads-up: The Forbidden Forest- as the name already suggests- is forbidden for students. And I'd advice a few elder students to try to remember that as well…"

At this point Harry was sure that the twinkle was directed straight at him. He grinned innocently and Dumbledore continued.

"Also, our caretaker, Mr Filch, has asked me to remind you once again that all use of magic in the corridors is prohibited and that there is twenty new items in the list of Banned-Objects that can be seen in the door of Mr. Filch's office. And I'm happy to announce that we have a new teacher for The Defence Against The Dark Arts; Professor Umbridge. She-"

It took everyone a while to understand why Dumbledore had stopped, but when the new teacher cleared her throat with an annoyingly fake-sounding cough, the students realized in awe that the Umbridge woman had stood up and was about to give a speech herself. Her standing position wasn't very impressive, though, as her stomach was at the same level with the table when she stood up. To Harry, she looked like a large toad wrapped in sickeningly pink robes.

"Thank you, Professor, for those kind words of welcome," Umbridge said, her voice sounding like a rats squeaking, and it made Harry clench his fist. It reminded him very much of Wormtails voice. "I'm sure that I'll become very good friends with all of you, and-"

Now Harry's mind started to wander around. The woman clearly didn't understand that they weren't four, so she didn't deserve to have Harry's attention when he had far more pleasant things to think about. He idly noticed that Hermione was still listening, a hard look on her eyes. Almost everyone else was doing something else than listening to the new teacher.

She finally finished after what seemed like hours and quite a few blinked their eyes as Dumbledore continued.

"Very enlightening. I thank you, Dolores." Dumbledore tilted his head towards the woman a bit before picking up where he'd been interrupted.

"As I was saying, Mrs. Umbridge has made a brave decision to come and teach, as it somehow seems that we can't keep a teacher in that post more than a year."

A few chuckles were heard.

"Now, the Quidditch try-outs will be held when it suits the captains, I trust that you announce it properly when you decide to hold them. That was about all. Now dig in!"

Harry sighed in relief as the food finally appeared on the plates. His stomach had been killing him for a while now. He grabbed something from every tray he could reach and started to eat. Ron wasn't far behind him and had already crammed half a beef into his mouth.

"Really Ron! Can't you eat in a more civilized manner?" Hermione asked.

"Bu' I'ng 'ungly!" Ron answered, half-bitten beef-bits nearly flying into Harry's plate.

"Eww, Ron!! I don't want your food on my plate!" Harry said, looking mock-disgusted.

Ron swallowed and Harry could've sworn he saw the food travelling in a huge ball down Ron's throat.

"Sorry, mate."

The rest of the meal went rather quietly and then Dumbledore rose up, getting the attention of the students.

"Well, time to go to bed now. Good night, everyone!"

"Ron, we have to escort the first-years!" Hermione reminded.

"Oh yeah! Oy, dwarves!!"

"Ron! They're not dwarves!"

"But they're so small…."

"Try foam extinguishers, Hermione," Harry whispered as he leant across the table, leaning on his hands. "See how many of them understand." Harry winked and smirked widely at the look that Hermione was giving him.

"Really, Harry! You're no better than Ron!"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Did I ever say I was?"

With a wave of his hand Harry left his friends and made his way to the Hall doors. He saw a few students looking at him when he passed them but tried his best to ignore it. No matter what he'd said to Ron and Hermione, he didn't like it when he was on the news.

Harry walked through the corridors, taking short-cuts and hidden passageways to get somewhere less crowded. He suddenly noticed that he was near Dumbledore's office. Harry blinked and was about to turn around to go to the Gryffindor Common room when a voice called to him and Harry turned.

Dumbledore was standing a few meters away and looking at Harry over his half-moon spectacles, eyes twinkling.

"What are you doing here?"

The question didn't sound accusing, only curious.

"Dunno, Professor. I was just kinda wandering around…"

Dumbledore smiled. "Happens to all of us. Now, as you are conveniently here, why don't you come to my office? I have some things to discuss with you."

Harry nodded. "Sure thing, Professor."

Dumbledore gave the stone gargoyle the password and they stepped to the whirling staircase.

"Sit down," Dumbledore said, pointing to the chair in front of his desk, smiling benevolently.

Harry sat down and refused the candy he was offered.

"Now," Dumbledore said, sitting behind his desk and put his fingertips together, leaning to his elbows. "First, I must ask you to be cautious in the presence of our new teacher."

"That...Umbridge?" Harry asked, trying to recall the toad look-a-like's name.

Dumbledore nodded in the slightest. "She's working for the Ministry as well, reporting to Fudge."

Harry frowned. "But I thought that Fudge believes that Voldemort is back. Why would he put a scout in here?"

Dumbledore's face twisted into the slightest of grimaces. It was suppressed quickly but Harry caught a glimpse of it.

"Cornelius," Dumbledore said, trying to sound neutral, "is apparently under the supposition that after Voldemort is defeated, I'll take over his post as the Minister Of Magic, using my students as an army to back me up, if it comes to that."

"But that's insane!"

Dumbledore tilted his head. "It's completely reasonable from Cornelius' point of view, I'm afraid. As such, Professor Umbridge will be teaching you theory only. No use of spells will be allowed in her classroom."

"But can't you interfere?!"

Dumbledore shook his head with a small smile. "I can't interfere with my teachers like that. They each decide their own teaching methods. This reminds me. I trust you remember I told you that you'd have more work if you joined the Order?"

Harry nodded. He wasn't regretting his decision, especially because he now had another way to communicate with Sirius.

"Well, at least Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Vector will be tutoring you atop of your regular studies."

Transfiguration and Charms Harry could understand, but runes? His doubt must have shown on his face as Dumbledore smiled.

"Yes, runes, Harry. You'll be learning a bit of ancient and wandless magic as well so you'll need them."

Harry frowned again. "But who…?"

"Me," Dumbledore said.

Harry looked at the Headmaster and looked surprised.

"You, Professor?"

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, amused. "Do you have a problem with it?"

"What? NO! Of course not, Professor! I was just surprised, that's all."

"You'll also learn duelling and Occlumency. You know what that is, right?"

"Yes, Headmaster. Professor Lupin gave me a book about Mind Magic for a birthday present."

"Really? My, quite clever of him. I see Sirius gave you your communicator as well."

Harry fingered his earring and a small smile came to his face.

"Yes."

"Well, that was my business for now. Start your lessons normally and I'll inform you about the extra-things when the time comes. Now, the connection word for my communicator is 'Fawkes'. Contact me if something comes up."

"Thanks, Professor."

"No need to thank me, dear boy. Now I think it's time for you to go to bed. You sure you can find to your common room without wandering off?"

Harry smirked. "I can always try, Professor."

As Harry's hand was already on the doorhandle he suddenly remembered the creatures he'd seen.

"Professor?" Harry asked, turning around.

"Yes, Harry?"

Harry tilted his head, all of a sudden not sure if he should ask. After all, he didn't want to look delusional.

Dumbledore must've seen Harry's uncertainty because he smiled benevolently.

"Ask what's on your mind, Harry. You'll sleep better."

"Well, Professor, you see… When we arrived… At the carriages… I saw these creatures…" Harry stopped and glanced at Dumbledore, wanting to see that the man wasn't approaching him with a 'CAUTION! INSANE!' – stamp. Luckily the old wizard just nodded behind his desk, although he wasn't smiling anymore.

"You know what I'm talking about, Professor?"

"I do, Harry. Anything else before I'll explain?"

Harry sighed a bit, relieved that he wasn't going crazy.

"Well, umm… I was about to say something about them to Ron and Hermione when one of the creatures looked at me and it looked like it shook its head, Professor."

Dumbledore pointed to the chair again and Harry sat down.

"They were thestrals, Harry."

"Thestrals, Professor?"

"Indeed. They live in the Forbidden Forest and have agreed to pull the carriages when needed. Very intelligent creatures. And reliable. Make one of them your friend and it'll never let you down. And they have magnificent sense of directions. Tell one to take you somewhere and that's exactly where you'll end up."

"But why didn't Ron and Hermione see them? And even I haven't. Not before."

Dumbledore looked a bit sad.

"Thestrals can only be seen by those who have witnessed death, Harry."

Harry blinked a bit.

"Oh," was all that he said.

Dumbledore nodded a bit as well.

"Now I think that you really should go to bed, Harry."

* * *

There, done!

Liked it? Hated it? I'm trying not to threaten you or appeal to you by the counseling this time. I just hope you'll press the delightful little button that says 'review' and lemme know whatcha think. Thanks!

'til next time. *bows*


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, this chapter is short(-ish?...) and continues STRAIGHT from the last one. Got that clear, huns? ;) Good. Now.

I WANT TO HUG YOU ALL!!!!!!! But since that's kinda impossible here, I settle with a huuuuuge virtual hug to every one of the wonderfully lovely people who've reviewed so far!! Thanks a lot!!! Your reviews really lighten my day! 'specially now when the exams are pressing on... I'm STRESSED!!!!! But it also means that I'm home almost all the time because I magically happen to scurry out of school before noon... Wait... I'll stop here. I'm sure it's not me you want to be listening to. Sirius, go on.

Sirius: Please forgive Dowash. She's on one of her odd moods again. Can I go and bang her with a sledge-hammer? *picks the tool and approaches the whistling Author*

Harry: No, hun. You can't. If you go and smash her with it, she'll have even bigger brain damage. D'you _really_ want to live with her after that?!

Sirius: *pouts* You spoil my fun. Next you're going to tell that the woman in England owns us, right?

Harry: I've made a point to never lie to you so yes, that's what I was about to say.

Dowash: *sighs* But you're mine in this fic!!! *Evil grin* and I'm taking the most of it!

Harry: We've noticed. Do you really have to make us go at it at least twice in one chapter?

Dowash: Are you complaining? *wink*

Harry: Nope. *lewd grin*

--

_Harry thinking_

* * *

That night definitely ranked to the near top in Harry's fucked-up-nights-meter. Be it whether the fact that he was sleeping alone or whatever, Harry's dreams were filled with nightmares. In front of Harry's eyes people were tortured and killed and he could do nothing to help them.

Harry tossed and turned on his bed, and when he woke up, he was covered in cold sweat. So he was not in the best of moods when Ron poked his head inside Harry's bed curtains and grinned widely.

"Rise and shine, Harry! Time for breakfast!"

Harry groaned and pulled his coves over his head. He wanted Sirius near him, to be pressed in Sirius' warmth. Harry yelled as he felt his warm nest being ripped open as Ron charmed his covers to hover above his bed.

"C'mon! Get up!" Ron was still sounding annoyingly cheerful in Harry's ears.

Harry sighed heavily and got up, changing his clothes. As they met Hermione, Ron started to complain to her.

"Hermione! Can you believe that he-" Ron pointed at Harry, who was walking slightly behind them and yawning,"- didn't want to wake up at all? I had to nearly drag him out of his ruddy bed!"

"You woke him up? And you weren't cursed? Wow."

"Excuse me! 'He' is walking in the hearing vicinity! And I was already awake. See how cheerful and perky you'd be if you had a non-stop steam of nightmares through the night."

Hermione turned around, stopping them near the Great Hall.

"Oh, Harry! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm alright, Hermione. I just don't like to see Voldemort torturing someone that much."

Hermione and Ron flinched a bit at the name, but Hermione looked worried nonetheless.

"You were… Inside his head or something?" Hermione had reduced her voice into a whisper and Harry barely heard her.

"Or something. Now, breakfast? Please?"

They walked to the Grate Hall and Harry noticed again that people were looking at him. He sat on the table and greeted his dorm mates.

"Morning," Harry said to them as he reached for the porridge.

"Morning, Harry," Neville said cheerfully but Dean and Seamus just nodded, as they seemed to be ready to fall on their plates.

"I see you're not the only sleepy one here, mate," Ron said, looking quite amused as Seamus' hand slipped from under his jaw and his head nearly fell to his scrambled eggs.

"Why don't try some coffee?" Hermione asked as she poured herself a cup of tea.

Harry tilted his head before he reached for the coffee-can. He poured himself a full goblet and was relieved when he felt himself a bit more awake after taking the first few sips. Dean and Seamus followed his example and soon they were awake enough to take part of the conversation.

"I had a really bad row with my mother before I returned here," Seamus said as he was drinking his fifth cup of coffee, now wide awake.

Ron scowled. They'd met Seamus' mother and she'd seemed like a nice woman.

"About what?"

Seamus tilted his head a bit apologetically towards Harry.

"I see," Harry said. His voice was nonchalant. "So she believes I'm a bad influence on you or something?"

Seamus sighed. "Something like that, yeah. I told her that I don't care if one of my friends was gay or whatever. But she just didn't seem to believe me."

"Well, do _you_ believe the Prophet, then?" Harry was trying to prevent himself from smirking. A small hint of a smile clearly managed to get on his face as Seamus smiled as well.

"Honestly, I don't care one way or the other. I just hope that you'll leave my ass alone," Seamus said with an exaggerated wink.

"I'll try to resist," Harry said and flashed his eyelashes, making the few girls passing by blush.

"Is this the best conversation to be having at a breakfast table?" Hermione asked.

Harry turned towards her and flashed a dashing smile, making her blink a little.

"But my dear Hermy, this is the _perfect _conversation for breakfast."

Hermione opened her mouth but couldn't answer as Professor McGonagall arrived with their schedules.

Harry groaned loudly as he looked at his time-table. What on Earth had he done to earn a double-period of Potions first thing on Monday morning? With Slytherins?!

"Hard luck, mate," Ron said, sounding sympathetic. Harry just grimaced.

*_*_*

At the end of the Potions lesson Harry was down right ready to blow something up. Snape had been his charming greasy self; picking on Harry at every chance he got and snapping points from Gryffindor at the tiniest of reasons.

Harry sighed in relief as he slumped to his seat in transfiguration. Hopefully McGonagall wouldn't expect that they remembered anything huge from last year. At last some luck was on Harry's side that day. McGonagall had them do everything they knew, as a meter to how much they'd have to re-study for the OWLs. Hermione was –surprise, surprise- the only one who could do all of the transfiguration required and concentrated on helping Harry and Ron after that.

When the bell rang and Harry started to go towards the door, he heard Professor McGonagall calling for him.

"Mr. Potter!"

Harry turned around and saw that the Professor was beckoning to him. He walked towards her and saw that his friends were following him.

"This is private, Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley. I must ask you to leave," McGonagall said as she saw Hermione and Ron behind Harry. They looked a bit hurt but turned away nonetheless, exiting the classroom.

"Now, Potter. It's about your extra lessons." McGonagall said after putting up the Privacy charms. "I'll be able to tutor you on Mondays and Wednesdays. Filius and I agreed that we can share the lessons when you proceed with your abilities, allowing you to have more time with the Headmaster and his teachings. Understood?"

"Yes, Professor. Will I start today?"

McGonagall pursed her lips a bit, contemplating.

"Yes," she finally said. "In my office, at eight o'clock sharp. I'll inform the staff that you have the right to walk in the corridors after the curfew as I doubt we'll be done in an hour."

Harry nodded. "What about Umbridge? If she sees me I'm pretty sure questions will arise."

McGonagall gave a small smile at Harry, not looking as fierce as she did so. "I'm sure you have ways to prevent being seen, Potter," she said with a knowing smile as she guided Harry to the door. "I must ask you not to talk about this to your friends. They'll be unpleased should they hear that you've been accepted to the Order as an under-aged and they're not."

"What will I say to them, then? I resent lying to my friends, Professor," Harry said with a frown.

McGonagall gave Harry an approving smile. "Just say that this has to be done and that they'll hear about it in time. I'm sure they'll understand."

"They'll know I'm not telling something."

"I know that, Potter. Now, out. My next class is beginning and I suggest that you run to Charms if you don't want to be late."

Harry managed to get into the Charms classroom just before the bell rang, earning a small 'tut' from Hermione. Ron looked at him curiously and was about to ask something when Professor Flitwick started to speak.

"Good morning, students! Now, I thought that we'd start with a repetition of what we've learned so far. Think of every charm you know and try to perform as many as you can."

As the cheerful general confusion that was always present in charms took place, Professor Flitwick made his way to Harry, who was just performing an Accio-charm.

"Very good, Mr. Potter. Ten points to Gryffindor."

Harry tilted his head in a thank you and was nearly hit by a flying book that Hermione had banished from her table. As Harry duck to avoid his head being cracked open, he heard the faint words 'Tuesday and Thursday, eight o'clock, my office' from Flitwick before Harry straightened and Flitwick walked away, giving ten points to both Hermione and Ron as well.

_Well, it might've been a bit odd if two teachers in a row asked me to stay after the lesson on the first day…_

Harry smirked a bit before continuing his Charms' double-lesson.

After lunch it was Care Of Magical Creatures. Harry, Ron and Hermione already knew that Hagrid wasn't there so they weren't surprised to see a replacement and didn't ask questions.

*_*_*

Harry sighed heavily as he subsided further into his chair near the fireplace in the Common Room. Of course Snape had given them a nice welcome back- present. Two parchments about some difficult and incomprehensible potion to be returned tomorrow. Yes, welcome back indeed.

Harry tapped his quill to his leg as he was trying to come up with something that didn't completely show his disinterest and ignorance in the subject. Ron was sitting next to Harry, apparently trying to decide whether to throw his Potions book into the crackling flames or not.

Harry glanced at his clock and saw that it was just a bit to seven.

"By the way, Harry. What did Professor McGonagall want to talk to you about?" Hermione raised her eyes from Harry's book that she was reading.

Harry bit his lip a bit. He didn't want to lie straight to his friends' faces but the Professor had been very clear.

"It was private."

"We know that one already, Harry," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "That's why we're asking here, mate."

"I mean private as in 'I can't tell you so please don't ask'- kinda private," Harry said.

"You can't tell us? Why?" Hermione was frowning, clearly not liking this.

"I can't tell you right now. But I will in due time. I just ask you not to pester me about it. Please?"

Hermione and Ron looked highly displeased before they both sighed.

"I don't like this, Harry," Hermione said.

"Me neither, Hermione, but I just can't tell."

Hermione's frown deepened. "But you'll _have_ to tell us at some point!"

"I will, I will. So, you won't ask me about it?"

"Of course we will," Hermione said with a little wink. "I'll try to blow your cover without you having to tell me."

"Not gonna happen."

"Let her have her fun, mate. Do you get this Potion thingy, by the way?"

Harry shook his head and they spent an enjoyable forty-five minutes, calling Snape more and more abominable names and suggesting where he could stuff his essay-demands while Hermione threw them scolding glances over the book once in awhile..

As it was ten to eight, Harry got up and started to leave.

"Where're you going?" Hermione asked.

Harry smiled a bit "It's the DAAIWLTY."

"The what?"

"Don't ask and I won't lie to you."

"Oh."

Harry went to his dorm and grabbed his invisibility cloak and the Map before making his way out of the common room and headed towards Professor McGonagall's office.

*_*_*

Harry arrived to the office a bit to eight and knocked tentatively. After a few seconds the door opened and Harry stepped inside.

"Now, our lessons will mainly focus on turning you into an Animagius. As you well know, the transformation can go horribly wrong so I trust you'll keep your full focus on the subject." McGonagall had started as soon as the door swung closed and Harry tried to catch every of her words.

"Understood, Professor," Harry said.

"I'll also be teaching you how to use transfiguration during a duel. Questions?"

"Will I be able to choose the animal I turn into, Professor?"

"No, I'd say that you won't, Potter."

Harry nodded.

*_*_*

Harry suppressed a moan as he slumped to his bed. McGonagall had given him an hour and a half-long lecture about using transfiguration during a duel and Animagius-transformation. Then the next three hours Harry had practiced more spells he could even count. Although McGonagall had said that it went fairly well, Harry disagreed. He'd been able to do only one of the transfigurations properly and now he felt like his brain was screaming in protest for this information that had suddenly been thrust into it. Harry just made it in time to put his pyjamas on before his eyes closed.

In the morning Harry was officially ready to curse the person that had invented the nauseous excuse of a clock into oblivion. It seemed to him that as soon as he'd closed his eyes, Ron yelled to his ear to get up, as it was time for breakfast.

"Honestly, I don't know what to do with you! It's only the second day and you're already sleeping in!" Ron continued his rampage about Harry's sleeping habits all the way down to the Great Hall and only then he finally shut up as he started to eat.

Harry poured himself a very large cup of coffee. Well, huge would be a better adjective for this one as Harry had enlarged his cup so that it was so big his fingertips didn't touch each other as Harry help the cup with both hands, inhaling the scent.

"Harry, are you sure you should drink all that?" Hermione asked, looking a bit worried.

"Positive. Unless, of course, you want me to doze off the second I sit into the DADA class."

"But Harry, its DADA! You won't doze off there! You can't!"

"And why not? I'm pretty sure we'll write about something the whole double-lesson."

"You can't know that!"

"C'mon, Hermione. Did you even _see_ the new teacher?"

"I saw her perfectly well, Harry. What's your point?"

"My _point_ is that someone who looks like an overgrown toad can't be that much into actually letting us _use_ spells."

Harry downed his coffee and felt a bit more awake as he started to eat as well.

*_*_*

They had DADA first, then Potions and after lunch it was Herbology.

Harry was ready to curse anyone-again- by the time they walked out of the Potions class. First two hours with the Umbridge, who had clearly decided that they were four and acted accordingly plus made them write at least the classrooms full length of notes and giving them homework so much that Harry immediately decided he'd have no sleep during the next three nights as he tried to survive from them. The woman had talked to Harry for a while with a sugary voice that reminded Harry of the witch he and Sirius had seen in the Ministry. She asked a lot of questions but Harry was very short in his answers. He didn't like the implications hidden under them at all.

And straight after that it was The Greasy Git for two hours. And he, too, was his slimy charming self. And gave them enough homework to make even Hermione look a bit worried. So, as Harry sat on the Gryffindor table, grinding his teeth with an ugly look on his face, everyone made a wise decision to stay at a fair distance from him as they didn't want to miss the rest of their first week lying on a bed in the Hospital wing.

Harry made a little sigh of relief as he walked across the grounds to the Herbology classroom. Ron and Hermione were walking a few feet behind him, not wanting to set him off. Harry felt a little sting in his consciousness. It wasn't their fault, after all.

Luckily the class was calm and nerve soothing as they got a project to start to grow a highly magical plant. It took Harry's full concentration so he didn't have the time to think about anything else.

As they returned to the common room after dinner, Ron and Hermione went straight next to the fire-place to do their homework. Harry climbed to the dorm and slumped on his bed. It had been 2 days, 6 hours 32 minutes and 17 seconds when Harry had seen Sirius last and he missed his lover like hell.

_Kehee… I really like the word lover… It has a nice ring to it… Think I should contact him…_

Harry sat up on the bed and cast a silencing charm around his bed. He touched his earring a bit and whispered Sirius' communication word.

The communicator warmed up a bit before Sirius' voice floated from it.

"Harry?" Sirius sounded happy.

Harry smiled a bit. "Hi, Siri. How does the hologram thingy work?"

"Wait a sec…"

Suddenly in front of Harry sat a transparent Sirius, smiling widely.

"So, you managed to cope two days without me, eh, Sunny boy?"

Harry mock-pouted.

"Fine, I'll just cut the connection then. Don't expect me to call you again." He reached for the earring again and Sirius looked mock-horrified.

"But my dear Sunny Boy! How can you do this to me?!" Sirius flung his hand to his chest in an exaggerated gesture before his face straightened.

"I miss you too," Sirius said quietly, crawling a bit closer to Harry.

"So how does this thing work?" Harry asked after a while, gesturing between himself and Sirius. "Am I a hologram on your end too?"

"Yup. It's really convenient. So, how are you?"

Harry grimaced a bit. "We have a charming DADA teacher. We wrote today, the whole double-period. Enough parchment went to cover the walls in my bedroom in GP."

Sirius whistled a bit. "That's a lot of parchment."

"And after that it was The Greasy Git for the second two hours. They're clearly trying to kill us from exhaustion before we even get fully started!"

Sirius tilted his head a bit, a smirk etched on his face. "The fifth year is though, Sunny boy, they don't say that for nothing."

Harry sighed a bit. "I just wish you'd be here," he said quietly before glancing at his clock. Ten to six.

Harry moaned a bit before looking at Sirius again. "I think that I should go and try to do my homework. I have to go to Professor Flitwick's office at eight and I doubt that I'll be out of there before midnight." Harry sighed a bit before his face lit up again. "Oh, guess what?!"

Sirius raised an eyebrow and looked amused by Harry's sudden change in the mood.

"Do tell."

"I'm becoming an Animagius!"

Sirius smiled widely. "Really?"

"Yup. McGonagall started my tutoring yesterday and she said so."

"Well, good luck on that one. It's tricky and not everyone has been granted with brains like mine."

Harry snorted and would've whacked Sirius on the head if he'd really been there. For now he just settled for sticking out his tongue.

Sirius chuckled and reached his hand out a bit, his transparent fingers gliding over Harry's cheek.

"Have fun," Sirius said with a wink, smirking, before he cut the connection and Harry was alone again, although feeing a bit better at seeing Sirius.

*_*_*

Harry was doing his homework again in the Common Room to spend some time before going to Professor Flitwick. He struggled with the DADA essay he was supposed to write. The book he used for help was deadly boring and Harry tried to keep his focus as his mind started to wander in 'Sirius' direction. Right now it wasn't a good thing as he was neck deep in homework and it was only the second day in school. Harry wouldn't be surprised if they all had at least a minor nervous breakdown before this year was over.

Harry stretched and yawned, glancing at his clock.

Fifteen to eight. Perfect.

Harry got up and went to the dorm, putting his books on his trunk and grabbing his Cloak and Map once again. As he strode back to the common room he saw Ron and Hermione looking at him suspiciously. Harry just flashed a little smile and mouthed 'don't ask thingy', before leaving the Common Room.

The lesson with Flitwick was extremely similar to the one that McGonagall had held. An hour long lecture and then two hours of practice. Harry had asked if he could rehearse some banishing and blowing-up charms. Flitwick had had a small sparkle in his eyes as he'd said that it might be wise indeed for Harry to let out some steam.

* * *

Once again, a new chapter is out! I'm feeling rather good right now, so I'll let the counceling be. I'm SO gonna need it later on, though.. Ahem, I'll just shut up now..

Liked it? Hated it? Lemme know.

(I really need to come-ooh, COME!* mental smack*- up with new descriptive names for the review button... Otherwise this'll just get boring... Suggestions, people? )


	9. Chapter 9

Hello! Here I am again! Once again, thank you so much for the reviews! I'm feeling rather energetic right now so I'll answer them as well ;)

**magicaltears: **Well, we kinda talked about this already, but I'll tell every one else as well: yes, I indeed have decided Harry's Animagius form already.

**riseofafallenangel: **Oh, their reactions will be... interesting... I'm sure...;) haven't decided what kind of yet, though. But I think I'll come up with something... *prays for the plot Gods in heaven*

**HepKittyHP2: **Being exited is so fun!! And I'm glad you've liked my story so far =)

**Zotikos:** Both, my dear Zotikos, both. If Harry's just something normal that's BORING, right? And Paddy's gonna love it! The Greasy Git.. teaching Harry?!! I agree, it isn't even funny. Excuse me... *goes to puke* I'm mean but I'm not that mean! *yeah, right* And it wouldn't fit my plans at all, should someone find out about Harry and Sirius just yet... XD

**Rocklynn-Rosalie: **I'm glad you liked it. *bows* Keep up the reading and reviewing! ;)

**deathxofxthexbetrayed:** Once again, I thank you for the compliment!

I'll have to stay quiet right now, Harry's still sleeping... *shh!* He's had a rough three weeks! Indeed, now we're at the part where I kinda jumped over two and a half weeks or so to get some more going in this story. I hope you like it and remember! NO believing if someone comes and tells you that I don't own these guys!

Harry: You don't, Dowash. You only own the plot to this fic.

Dowash: I thought you were sleeping!

Harry: I am. Sleep talking, dear Dowash. Sleep talking.

* * *

When Harry woke up on a Saturday morning he was pondering if he should just sleep the whole day. It'd been quite straining to train three weeks almost every night and doing all of the homework, thus getting little sleep. And survive the ordinary lessons as well. Harry was very surprised he wasn't turning brownish by now for the amount of coffee he'd drunk during the days.

Dumbledore hadn't announced about their lessons at all and Harry wasn't sure about Professor Vector. As Harry didn't have any of her classes, he wondered how he would get the notification.

Harry glanced at the clock and had to blink a few times for his brains to understand he numbers.

_How the Hell can it be four thirty in the afternoon?!_

Harry had apparently indeed slept nearly through the day. Not that he minded. The dreams he'd had had been extremely entertaining and had included Sirius, hot shower and soap. As the memories of the dream flooded fully into Harry's mind he decided to take a shower. Right now.

Harry sighed as he stood under the heavy downpour of water. This was really getting quite uncomfortable. He'd had dreams about Sirius every night along the weeks and was now at the point where, should he saw a glimpse of him, Harry would drag Sirius to the nearest horizontal level, not caring if there were people near or not, and keep him there for a _very_ long time. And it had been just a month. Harry didn't even want to _know_ how he'd actually react when he'd finally see Sirius.

_Yippi-kay-yee for that. Must be the lack of sex. After all, when I was at GP, we fucked at least once a day with Sirius. Well, except for the four days after the Weasleys and Hermione came. I still can't believe they didn't ask anything about what the Prophet's been writing. Bet Dumbledore said something… _

Harry leaned his hands to the wall and dangled his head, letting the warm water flow over him. He bit his lip and he closed his eyes as he thought about his latest dream. They'd been in the shower. Amazing what one can come up with just mere soap. Harry shivered a bit as he remembered how Sirius' hands had glided across his body, soaked in soap, making everything slippery.

Harry shook his head a bit, trying to get the image out of his head.

_This isn't helping at all!_

Harry reached for his wand and with a small sigh he cast a locking and a silencing charms on the door. He most definitely didn't want to be interrupted while doing something like this. Harry knew that doing this would only deepen his yearn for Sirius to fuck him so long that he couldn't lift a finger anymore from the exhaustion. Harry turned the water into more hot and slowly gave in to the pleasure.

As Harry was in front of the mirror, drying his hair, he felt his earring to warm up a bit. Harry quickly whispered the activation word and Dumbledore's voice filled the room.

"Good Afternoon, Harry."

"Good Afternoon, Headmaster. Although it's more like G'morning to me," Harry said, smirking to his image.

"Is that so?" Dumbledore sounded amused. "Good I didn't contact you earlier then. Could you come to my office in an hour?"

"Sure thing, Professor."

"Good then."

With that, Dumbledore cut the connection and Harry leaned to the sink staring at his face. He still had faint shadows under his eyes.

_Well, can't be helped…_

Harry cantered out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist and his hair still a bit damp. Ron was sitting on his bed and Hermione at Harry's.

"Well look who decides to return to the land of consciousness," Ron mocked.

Harry just smiled angelically as he walked to his trunk and started to rummage through the first section to find something to wear. He didn't see the look that his friend shared.

"Um, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Hmm?" Harry's voice sounded a bit subdued as he was now in the trunk to his shoulders. It was quite convenient that the trunk enlarged itself automatically when there was enough stuff inside it. The only bad thing about this was that almost all of Harry's underwear was on the bottom.

"What were you doing for the past three weeks?"

"What d'you mean?" Harry asked as he retreated from his trunk, pulling his underwear with him and standing up.

"In the evenings. Harry, you're clearly exhausted!"

Harry flashed a smile." Not telling. Now, turn around."

"What? Why?" Hermione was clearly a bit confused.

Harry smirked widely. "Didn't know you wanted to see me naked that much. Oh well, I think I can just put my _boxers_ on under your scrutinizing glare."

Hermione blushed a bit before turning around, muttering something about 'idiots' and 'arrogant bastards'. Harry chuckled and put his boxers on.

"You may turn now," Harry said, sounding mock-modest.

Hermione shook her head. "Honestly, you're becoming just like Sirius!"

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"And, do tell. What exactly do you mean by that?"

Hermione didn't answer.

"You missed breakfast, mate," Ron said. "And dinner."

"I know. I'll go grab something from the kitchen."

"Great! I'll come with you!"

"Hmmph…" Harry was once again shoulders deep in his trunk in search for a shirt this time. He pulled out a t-shirt and his jeans.

When Harry had his clothes and shoes on he strolled to the bathroom again, looking in the mirror to see if his hair was dry already. Seeing that it fully wasn't, Harry cast a warm-air spell, making his hair dry in an instant. Harry fingered his earring as he walked out of the bathroom and to the dorm door, deep in thought. He opened the door and made his way downstairs, completely forgetting that there were other people present as he walked across the common room and was nearly at the portrait-hole when Ron yelled behind him.

"Oy, Harry! Are you still sleepin' or wha'? I said I'll come too!"

Harry turned around and waited for Ron to catch up to him before they exited.

Ron seemed to be in a bit of a foul mood as they walked towards the kitchen. Finally getting tired of it, Harry turned and grabbed his friends arm, stopping them both in the middle of the corridor.

"Ron, what is it? You wanted to come yourself so stop sulking."

"I'm not sulking!"

"Then what the hell's wrong with you? There's practically a banner over your head that says 'I'm pissed so don't come near me'! Did you argue with Hermione or something? And when you're gonna confess your feelings?" Harry winked a bit. He had noticed during the weeks that Ron had a bit of a crush on their friend.

Ron blushed a bit.

"We didn't argue."

"Aha! But you don't deny having a crush on her!"

Ron's blush deepened and he yanked Harry into an empty classroom near them, putting up the Privacy spells.

"Keep your mouth closed about this, 'kay? I don't want her to know." Ron's voice was a bit pleading.

Harry smirked. "I'll be quiet like a wall. You'll have a hard time to win her over though."

Ron looked relieved. "So- umm… You don't… I mean…" he blushed again a bit.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I don't what? Mind? No."

"Really? I mean… I just thought that… If you… had… towards her…" Ron stumbled and didn't look at Harry in the eye.

It took Harry a while to figure what his friend was saying. When he did, he staggered backwards to a desk to have a little support as he was laughing his head off.

_Oh, Gods! _

"What's so funny?" Ron yelled his fists clenched.

Harry shook his head and laughed harder.

_Oh, Merlin! Should I tell him that I'm gay?... Noo... Don't think so… At least not right now…_

Harry tried to catch his breath and wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes.

"No- nothing," Harry managed to gasp, still giggling a bit. "I just – never thought- about that."

When Ron still looked a bit suspicious Harry tried to get his face straight.

"Ron, I love her like a sister and that's that. Nothing else. I won't stand in your way."

Ron looked relieved again.

"Oh, good. I just thought- the way she looks at you sometimes... Hell, like _everyone _looks at you…" Ron trailed off.

Harry was confused.

_What does he mean, 'the way everyone looks at me'?_

"What?" Harry asked, frowning.

Now it was Ron's turn to look bewildered.

"What d'you mean 'what'? Didn't you see how everyone in the common room looked at you?" Ron voice was a bit bitter and Harry suddenly remembered last year when Ron had been so jealous of him that they hadn't spoken in few months.

"No. So?"

"Come on! All the girls were practically drooling and a few of the boys as well, I'm sure."

"They were?" Harry looked a bit embarrassed. He hadn't even noticed, being so deep in thought about Sirius.

"Yes, they were! Are you honestly saying you haven't noticed?!"

"I haven't. But why do they stare at me?"

"My, must have something to do with your looks," Ron said sarcastically.

"What about my looks? They're ordinary."

"Harry, not many people have silver hair or snake-earrings. Plus you're the Boy-Who-Lived who looks like he's been 'dropped from the Heaven above'."

"I've not been-"

"I heard one of the girls in the Common Room saying that. She said that you're the 'sexiest man on the Earth' or something like that as well."

A smile spread across Harry's face.

"That's Sirius' job."

"What?"

"He said so, in the summer," Harry said, his smile widening. "Right before my interrogation. He said that it was his birthright to be the sexiest man walking on the face of this Earth but that I was a close second." Harry shook his head. "Not that I believed him. At least not what he said about me."

Ron still didn't look all that pleased but he'd sworn to himself not to get jealous of Harry ever again. He knew that his friend hated to be the 'Boy-Who-Lived' and he'd clearly had no idea about the looks he'd been gathering through the weeks.

"Can we go now? I'm getting kinda hungry here." Harry said after a small silence.

Ron nodded.

As they went inside the kitchen Harry's breath was immediately knocked away as Dobby crashed his head into Harry's diaphragm, nearly crushing his ribs by the hug. Its legs were swinging in the air slightly. He wheezed and tried to get his voice out as Dobby was talking with a high voice.

"Dobby is so pleased to see Harry Potter! Dobby heard about the end of the Triwizard Tournament but-"

"Dobby," Harry wheezed.

Dobby immediately let go and Harry was relieved as air finally reached his lungs. As he was massaging his stomach, he smiled widely to the house-elf in front of him. Dobby had a very colourful set of clothes once again, and it was smiling too.

"Could I get dinner, Dobby, please? I kinda missed breakfast and dinner, so…"

"Of course, Harry Potter!" As the elf was speaking, a huge tray of food appeared on the table on Harry's left, carried by two house-elves.

"Harry Potter may sit down here," Dobby said and pulled a chair to the table.

"Thanks," Harry said to the other house-elves that bowed before retreating. He sat down and Ron sat beside him.

Harry ate with a rush as Ron munched an apple. He exchanged a few words with Dobby between the bites, as the elf was sitting across the table. When Harry was done he thanked Dobby. The little house-elf just shook its head.

"No need to thank, Harry Potter!"

Harry and Ron walked out of the kitchen and Harry was about to turn right.

"Harry? Where're you going? It's shorter if we take the shortcut there to the Tower.

Harry shook his head.

"I'm not coming to the Tower just yet."

"What? Why not?"

"It's the 'don't ask-thingy' again. I'll come back at some point," Harry said as he started to climb the staircase.

Ron tilted his head a bit and was about to turn around when an idea struck him. He could follow Harry and find out where he was going. This decided, Ron ran quietly after his friend and traced him through the castle, keeping a few corners between them. As they were near the area where Dumbledore's office was, Harry suddenly disappeared. Ron cursed and searched for his friend for a while, not finding him. He went back to the common room and told Hermione that Harry was on 'it' again. He also told that he'd followed Harry but lost him. Hermione looked a bit disappointed.

*_*_*

Harry stepped inside Dumbledore's office after the small 'come in'. The Headmaster was petting Fawkes and Harry joined him, greeting the fire-red phoenix that tilted its head a bit towards Harry.

"So, how has your first month been?" Dumbledore asked after a while.

"Tiring," Harry answered truthfully.

"Must have, if you have enough sleep deficits to sleep nearly through the day." Dumbledore was smiling a bit.

"The Umbridge-eider isn't helping at all, she-" Harry stopped suddenly as he realized what he'd just called his teacher.

"Sit down, Harry," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "You were saying?"

Harry sat.

"The woman is giving enough homework for us to drown on the parchment as we write it and Snape isn't helping at all, he does just the same. Can't you do anything, Professor? We're having a breakdown here and it's just been the first month!"

"_Professor _Snape, Harry and no, I can't do anything. As I said on the first night I can't meddle with my teachers' methods and I said to you that you'd have more work if you joined. Now, how're your extra-lessons going?"

"Okay, I guess."

"More than okay, or so I've heard. Both Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall have said that you've improved greatly."

Harry looked down a bit, embarrassed because of the compliments because he felt he didn't deserve them.

"Now, I think that we'll start with the Occlumency today and you'll come tomorrow for your Ancient magic and Runes lesson."

Harry looked surprised. "You'll teach me Occlumency, Professor? And isn't Professor Vector teaching me the runes?"

"Ahh, I will. And a small change of plans. As Professor Umbridge seems so, _efficient_, we decided that it would be better for me to teach you Runes. And after I've talked to both Professors that are tutoring you, after you've managed your Animagius transformation they'll unite their lessons so that you'll be in my care from Thursday-night to Saturday-night." Dumbledore winked a bit and Harry blinked.

"Does this mean that I've improved in Transfiguration and Charms, Professor? Because that I think that I haven't, not that much as least."

"You're teachers think that you have improved and I trust their judgment." Dumbledore said, the twinkle sparkling in his eyes. "Now, Occlumency. You've read the book Remus gave you, correct?"

"At least three times, Professor."

_Got to get my mind off Sirius. It's okay as long as I __**do**__ something but otherwise…_

"Very good. So, you remember about Legilimency as well?"

"Yes, Professor. It's like mind-reading right?"

"Yes and no. You indeed enter other person's thoughts when you perform the spell, but a human's mind isn't a book, Harry. It's complex and has many layers. Voldemort is very good at Legilimency, and because of that it's nearly impossible to lie in his presence as he can see the conflict between the person's memories and what he's saying. Occlumency is the only way to ward your mind against this. During these lessons I'll try to enter your mind and you'll try to block me out. As you advance, we can do the same thing vice versa, so that you'll use Legilimency and I Occlumency."

"I'll practice Legilimency as well?" Harry was highly surprised.

"Yes." Dumbledore smiled. "Now, Harry. For you to be able to use Occlumency, you'll have to clear your mind from all emotions. This was described in the book as well, I assume."

"Yes. There were some meditation advices as well. How to clear one's mind and all that."

"Good. Now, I want you to clear your mind as much as possible and then try to block me out. But first, come here."

Dumbledore stood up and led them into a small door that Harry hadn't seen before. The Headmaster opened the door and they entered a little library. There were two comfortable armchairs and a cheerfully crackling fire.

"Sit," Dumbledore said smiling and pointed to the chair closer to the fire. "This'll be more comfortable for you if you sit when we start."

Harry sat down and Dumbledore waved his wand a bit, bringing the other armchair in front of Harry before he sat down.

"Now, well start with meditation. It'll help you to focus on just one thing and it'll soothe your nerves as well, if you're in the need for it."

Dumbledore kicked off his shoes and sat cross-legged on his chair, gesturing Harry to do the same.

"Breathe slowly," Dumbledore said. "Close your eyes and let your mind wander where ever it wants."

Harry immediately thought about Sirius.

_Bad, bad!! _

"Now try not to think anything in particular. Let all just be. Don't cling into any thought in particular, just let them flow over the surface of your mind."

Dumbledore's voice was low and calm and Harry found it quite easy to just listen to him, slowly feeling his tensions dissolve and his mind to calm down. It was a pleasant feeling. Harry just listened to his own deep breathing and let everything else dissolve into the whiteness. He noticed to his amazement that he could feel a small movement somewhere in his body, slowly pulsing and coiling.

Harry 'traveled' a bit closer to his new discovery and tried to examine it a bit. He'd never done anything like this before and he had no idea what the thing was. And it seemed to be inside his head. It didn't seem at all malicious, though. To Harry, it felt like the thing was emitting happiness and power. Harry couldn't describe it at all, as it seemed to change shape and color every other second. But it felt nice. Harry felt a small smile to spread on his face as he stretched an imaginary hand to touch the thing.

Suddenly Harry felt a feeling of warmth on his non-existent fingers as they were a few inches away from the shiny thing. It was as if something was saying not to touch it. Harry frowned a bit and suddenly realized that either Dumbledore had stopped speaking or Harry had blocked him out a long time ago.

Harry came slowly back to reality and blinked a few times as he saw Dumbledore smiling widely in front of him.

"What were you doing?" The Headmaster seemed highly curious. Once again, there was no accusation in his tone, just pure curiosity.

"What do you mean 'what were you doing'?" Harry asked. "Professor," he added hurriedly.

"You've been sitting there for the past hour sitting like carved in stone, my dear boy."

Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling madly.

Harry's jaw nearly hit the floor.

_An hour?! Are you fucking kidding me? No way in HELL it was an hour! Just a few minutes!_

"Judging by the look on your face you don't believe me. But I can assure you that I've been staring at you for the past sixty minutes with great intensity. Again, I ask; what were you doing?"

"I… I was…" Bur Harry couldn't find words for it. He shook his head a bit. "I can't explain it, Professor. But really, an _hour_?!"

"An hour indeed. Now, I trust that your emotions are in check by now so we shall start."

As Harry nodded, mind still oddly peaceful, Dumbledore raised his wand and said the spell.

"Legilimence."

Harry felt like someone banged him in the head with a very hard object and then unfolded a film tape in front of his eyes as he drowned in the memories of his past, the room fading from his vision.

_He was five and getting beaten by Dudley and his friends _FLASH_ He was ten and talking to the snake in the zoo _FLASH_ He was walking the corridors of Hogwarts, alone. Twelve years old _FLASH- The memories kept unfolding as Harry struggled to get Dumbledore out of his mind, trying to concentrate over the memories that flowed in his mind. FLASH_ He was walking with Sirius along a street in London, laughing. A month and a half ago… _

Then Harry felt pure hatred float into him. Loathe for the man sitting in front of him that he could suddenly see crystal clear despite the still ongoing steam of memories. Harry wanted to strike him, see him dead in front of him and as the emotions that weren't his poured into him, Harry felt like his head was cracking in two. He yelled and clutched his head, standing up and staggering away from the other man.

Harry reeled to the other side of the room before sinking to the floor, moaning in pain as he tried to get the feelings to stop, to get the presence that didn't belong there out of his head.

"Harry?" Dumbledore's worried voice came from right next to Harry.

Harry flinched and tried to get away from the old wizard, barely sane anymore from the stabbing pain inside his head and the cold voice that was whispering him to take the man down, that he deserved to die…

Harry screamed inside his head, resisting.

'_Weakling…'_

Harry heard a voice that wasn't his and noticed to his horror that he couldn't control his body anymore as he saw his hand raise his wand and point it towards Dumbledore as he whispered something. But it wasn't Harry's voice, it was high and cold as his throat forced the words out of his mouth.

"Crucio…"

* * *

So, how did you like that, huh?

My first cliffhanger(?)...

Reviews?

AARGH!!!! I can't come up with anything pleading to say here!! Must be because I had a test in psychology today... My brains are overdosed with thinking or something... Ease my state with a few reviews, yeah?


	10. Chapter 10

G'day! It's me again! (duh... ^^) This is definitely the SHORTEST chapter so far! But I'm hoping you'll forgive me! Pweetty please?

Also, my everlasting gratitude once again to the people who've reviewed! My mind is on it's right course again! (or not...)

And because y'all already know that I have Harry and Sirius tied up in my bed under the watch of my plot-bunny, I don't have to blabber to you about how some pretty lady in England owns them! Am I lucky or what? *devilish snicker*

Oh yeah! I have a question! People smarter than me, please enlighten! What does it mean when it says something about 'life' on the page where these chaps are on my account thingy? You know what I'm talking 'bout? Your help is gravely needed here! ;)

------------------------------------PREVIOUSLY-----------------------------------------

_Harry heard a voice that wasn't his and noticed to his horror that he couldn't control his body anymore as he saw his hand raise his wand and whispered something. But it wasn't Harry's voice, it was high and cold as his throat forced the words out of his mouth._

_"Crucio…"_

_--  
_

Harry couldn't do anything as the words escaped his mouth and a jet of red light shot from the tip of his wand… Voldemort had a complete control over his body and he could do naught but twitch in pain.

'_Watch, Potter… Watch your protector die by your own hand and you'll be accused for it… Have a nice trip to Azkaban…'_

A mad laugh, high and cold, echoed through Harry's head.

Through the mist of pain in Harry's head he realized that he was standing, hovering over Dumbledore. His wand pointed steadily at the wizard lying in front of him twitching in pain as Voldemort sent a painful curse after another.

"You are a fool, Albus Dumbledore." Harry felt his jaw twist painfully as words were once again forced out of his mouth with that high and cold voice that now sounded victorious. "To think that I wouldn't try to invade the boy's mind when it was so conveniently intruded already. By you, of all people… The boy truly is weak. No resistance at all…"

Harry tried harder than ever to concentrate to push Voldemort out of his mind.

'_Weeaak, Potter. You don't have the power to overcome me… Just watch quietly…'_

_Go away!_ Harry shouted in his mind but his only answer was a cold laughter.

Suddenly there was a yell and Harry was thrown backwards into the wall. His lungs emptied from the air and his vision started to fade away. Harry saw a tall figure in the doorway and it reminded him of Sirius…

And Voldemort let go, retreating with a small shriek of pain as he was hit with Harry's emotions.

Harry slid down from the wall and into the floor with a small thud. His head was killing him and he gladly received the darkness that claimed him.

*_*_*

Harry didn't know how long he was unconscious. At one point, he was half awake but could only hear two distant voices, saying something about 'dangerous' and 'unstable'. Harry didn't have the time to fully comprehend the words before he drifted away again.

When Harry slowly returned back to reality he immediately wanted to be knocked out again. His head felt like someone had tried to suck his brains out and replace them with an extremely spiky and boiling hot object.

Harry lifted his hand to hold his head and was half-way through the motion before he realized that his hand hadn't moved anywhere from his side. Harry frowned a bit and that immediately shot a bolt of pain across his forehead, making him groan a bit. He opened his eyes very slowly and was able to make out that he was in the Hospital Wing. Apparently he had his own room, as there was only Harry's bed there. But he was definitely in the infirmary. Harry had been there so many times before that he could tell by the smell. He looked down very carefully and saw why his hand hadn't followed: it was tied to the bed. Actually, both of Harry's hands were firmly bound to the sides of his bed. Harry's frown deepened but he had no time to ponder over this as the door burst open and Cornelius Fudge walked inside.

Harry had to blink a few times before his throbbing excuse of a brain fully understood the sight before him. Behind the Minister of Magic, there were at least a dozen of Aurors. All of them supporting the same stony expressions.

Harry squinted his eyes and bit his tongue to prevent himself from yelling as the light from the hallway nearly blinded him.

"Harry James Potter," Fudge began. "I'm hereby arresting you for the attempted murder of the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

The Aurors advanced towards Harry's bed and after he fully understood through the mist of pain in his head what he'd been told, he bolted up in the bed.

"What?!!!" Harry's voice was hoarse but loud enough. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Quiet, Potter. Do I have to hex you?" One of the Aurors at Harry's bedside looked at him and that gaze was filled with disgust.

"But I haven't done anything! How can you-"

"You haven't done anything?" Some other Auror this time. He unbound Harry and they dragged him out of his bed not-so-gently, making Harry's head spin and he groaned a little. "Try torturing your Headmaster nearly to death, filth."

"I didn't…" But nobody heard Harry's whisper as they pulled his arms so that he was standing in front of Fudge.

The little man's usually warm brown eyes were now cold and unforgiving.

"You'll be transported into Azkaban immediately, Potter. No trial will be held as we have a witness and the evidence is extremely heavy."

Harry started to laugh. His head was killing him and he couldn't help himself as the maniacal sound poured from his mouth hoarsely. Harry laughed all the way down to the front doors of Hogwarts, dragged by two of the Aurors as the rest were a protective circle around Fudge. It was good, actually, the dragging, as Harry's legs wouldn't have carried him as he was laughing so hard he couldn't stand and his head felt like it would explode at any minute. Even in Harry's own ears his laughter sounded completely insane but he just couldn't believe this was happening. It was just completely absurd.

Almost all of the school watched as he was dragged through the doors and into the grounds.

"Harry!"

Harry was still giggling maniacally and turned his head carefully to see who it was.

_Sirius._

Harry stopped dead on his tracks and just stared at the other man. Sirius, here. A mere few feet away from Harry. Sirius' face was twisted and then he advanced towards Harry. He was immediately blocked by two Aurors and Sirius started to yell at them.

"What the hell are you doing?! You-"

But Harry didn't hear any more as he was again dragged by the two Aurors, now almost at a running speed. Harry only had the time to turn to look at Sirius before he was being pulled away as the Aurors Disapparated.

*_*_*

"What the hell's this?" Sirius bellowed at the Vice-Headmaster. "Why in the bloody hell was Harry dragged away like that?!!"

"He tried to murder Albus, Sirius," McGonagall said, her voice shaking a bit.

"What?!" Sirius couldn't believe his ears.

"He was torturing Albus to death when Severus arrived."

Sirius turned to look at the Potions Master. The usual smeer was gone from the man's face as he looked back at Sirius.

"Quite true. Your Golden-Boy had nearly killed Dumbledore by the time I got there."

"And what _were_ you doing there, _Snivellus_?"

"The Headmaster had decided to teach Potter Occlumency. I said it wasn't a good idea, knowing the, ahh, mental state of the boy. But the Headmaster agreed on a spell that would inform me immediately if something went- wrong. And I'm happy that he did, otherwise we would be organizing the _funeral_ of Albus Dumbledore, instead of a long rest."

"But that's impossible! Why would Harry try to kill Dumbledore? It's insane!"

"Insane indeed. I believe that Potters mind – cracked, when the Headmaster entered it, pushing him over the edge and making him go insane."

"Harry isn't a lunatic, Snivellus! Don't go pushing your grudges on him!"

Snape raised an eyebrow. They were standing around Dumbledore's bed in his private quarters.

"He isn't? My, didn't you see him when they dragged him away? He looked like he'd totally lost it, Blacky-boy."

Sirius' curse nearly hit Snape and the only thing that prevented it was Professor McGonagall's extremely fast shield charm that erected between the two men, hovering above Dumbledore's still body.

"You two will stop right this instant! We will ask the Headmaster once he wakes up, but before that there's nothing we can do, Sirius. If Harry truly is innocent, we'll get him out after hearing Dumbledore."

"But it could take weeks, months even! Are you saying we should just leave Harry to rot in Azkaban?! He's fifteen, for Merlin's sake!"

"Your concern is truly admirable, Black. I think you should go and join the Potter boy, so that he doesn't get lonely."

Before Sirius could answer – and it would have been a very colorful response indeed- McGonagall cut in once again.

"Sirius, there's nothing we can do but wait. Harry will survive, I'm sure of it!"

* * *

Do you hate me now?

I hope not.

Step into my counseling by pressing the little button that says Review. Yes, pour all your stress out. I'll be listening, keenly.

For some reason no-one agreed to give _me_ any counceling so I'll just have to survive with my inner thoughts... My hands are shaking right now. How... could I... do that!!!! Maybe I'm just evil? You're opinions are welcomed!


	11. Chapter 11

Here's the next one! I dunno... I think I'm becoming repetitive with these blabbers that I put here... It always the 'thanks for reading and reviewing', maybe in slightly different forms but still... *pouts*

But still!! Thanks for the magnificent people who've reviewed so far! It might take you only a few seconds but it's as worthy as gold to me! (I hope ye get what I mean, not sure if I wrote that correctly :D)

So;

**riseofafallenangel:** You think I'm evil? Thanks, hun! I think I think so as well ;)

**SPEEDIE22: **I'm glad you liked it, even though it was so short.

**Zak's-blood13: **Semi-possessed, huh... Might be, dunno =) Although I think you're right ^.^

**Leenniepeennie: **I know, I know! My friend nearly strangled me when I told her I threw Harry to Azkaban. XD But fear not! Justice is served! (Or something like that)

Nicky O: How long would you like the chapters to be? I think they're fairly long as it is... (or not...) Lemme know, 'kay? ;)

**New Upsetter: **Oh, they will spend time together, no worries, hun ;) I'm not a complete monster after all. *Gets a glare from Sirius at this point*

cleofine_cat () : We knows it was short... But that happens, unfortunately. .p

**30sec2kiba: **Sirius wanted to go and save Harry! I had to tie him up( not that I minded *grins*) so that he didn't write himself saving Harry and they becoming fugitives together ;)

**animaluvr123:** Loving is good! Loving is passionate! Loving is- ... I'll stop here 'kay?

**deathxofxthexbetrayed: **I know it was short and I bash myself eternally because of it. But it had to be done like that. More... err- weight on it when it's a chapter on its own and all that! Yes! It was more impressive like that! Or something...

**Zotikos: **Compliments are always appreciated!It's good to know that I'm evil.... I really like that word... kehee ;)

**Rocklynn-Rosalie: **Thank you, once again... It always warms my little evil heart to hear that people like my story =)

Vito (): Really?! I nearly bounced out of my chair when I read that! That's a huge compliment! By the way, have you read Happy Christmas or Wishful Thinking? They're awesome, I really recommend them!

**magicaltears: **You know, I wasn't even going to throw Harry into Azkaban in the first place XD (wow, that sounded like an excuse) Anyhow, he isn't there for that long! See the end of this chapter!

**A/N:** Wow, 10 chapters down and this is my first official Author's Note. Anyway, can any of you translate Spanish? I got a loong review the other day but it's in Spanish so I don't understand a thing! buhuu... *sniff* So, volunteers?

Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Harry wanted to die the minute he was tossed into the tiny hole that was apparently his cell. The Dementors' effect had reached him in the outskirts of the prison and when he didn't have his Patronus, it worsened the closer they get.

Harry curled into a ball in the corner and let out a shivering sob, clutching his head in his hands. The insulting appendage still hurt like hell and it didn't help at all that he had to listen over and over again the worst moments of his life during the long hours to come before he finally drifted into a light excuse of sleep.

*_*_*

When Harry woke up he had no idea what time it was. There were no windows and almost no light at all, only the small rectangle of the faintest light coming from between the door and the ground. Harry tightened his grip around his legs and took a shivering breath. The despair was nearly crushing him with its weight, making even the thought of thinking straight a fucking joke. Harry wobbly stood up and started to trace the outlines of his cell, desperate to do _something_ to keep the despair that was making his heart ache at bay.

Ten steps from the back wall to the door and six steps wide. As Harry was walking slowly around, being able to ease the despair for a few seconds, his feet suddenly caught with something.

Harry bent over and fingered the fabric. He supposed that it was his blanket, meaning that the wooden board under it was his bed. Harry sat down and pulled the cloth around him. It barely reached over his shoulders.

Harry lifted his legs to his chest and laid his head to rest on his knees, his arms wrapped around them. He let out a moaning breath as his worst memories once again flooded back from where he'd been able to distant them.

Harry fought the despair that was in his mind, trying think of something. _Anything._

All of his happy memories were long ago gone, sucked by the guards of this place.

*_*_*

It was the fifth day. Or 'day', to be precise. Harry had no idea how long he'd actually been in this Hell-hole.

When Harry woke up, it was to the sound of his door opening. The light that came from the doorway nearly blinded him and he had to cover his eyes, uttering a small moan of pain. Something was laid to the ground near the entrance and then the blissful darkness descended again. Harry crawled to the door slowly and fingered his 'meal'. He had no appetite whatsoever, so he just left it there and crept back to his corner. The walls gave him an illusion of support as he listened his mother screaming, his father telling Lily to grab the baby and run, a cold voice laughing maniacally and from somewhere in the darkness the words 'kill the spare' echoed through his mind over and over again.

Harry sobbed and tried to curl up even more, wanting the voices to stop. But nothing helped. He was trapped inside his own head with no escape left. But one.

Harry reeled himself back to the plate and his hands traced over the outlines of the platter and the mug. He nearly wailed when there was nothing sharp in there. Nothing to release him from the misery that his life had become so quickly.

So Harry decided to kill himself by starvation. He didn't eat at all, just laid in the ground under his 'blanket' and cursed everything when he had the sanity to do so. The lack of food made him weak, up to the point where he could hardly lift his head anymore. Until Harry's resolve was cut off and he nearly attacked the mouldy bread and a cup of filthy water because in the end, he didn't want to die after all.

*_*_*

Harry started to keep track of the time. He carved a little mark into the wall beside his 'bed' every time the meal came. Otherwise Harry was just thinking and meditating. As meditation wasn't a positive feeling- or a feeling at all, for that matter- the Dementors couldn't suck it out of Harry. He could think a lot more sanely if he travelled next to the shiny little thing in his head. Although it wasn't emitting happiness anymore. Harry's thoughts just seemed to be a lot clearer if he stayed near it. So, it was no surprise at all that Harry spent all of his time meditating, retreating completely from reality. He was getting rather good at it actually.

After a 'week' or so, Harry was able to use some Occlumency shields to partly block away the despair he was feeling. It was a great relief to him, as he was pretty sure he didn't want to become any more insane than he already was. Surely being able to see the other prisoners and the Dementors through the walls with his eyes closed can't exactly be called sane.

*_*_*

It had been two 'months'. Harry was once again pacing around his cell, counting the steps as he went.

_One, two, three, four, five, six. Turn. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Turn. One, two, three… _

Harry slumped to sit on his 'bed' and closed his eyes, starting to meditate once again. He didn't have the energy to walk around very much and by now his clothes were dangling around him as Harry was so skinny that each of his ribs could be counted without him having to flatten his stomach at all. As Harry sat on the bed, his back pressed against the wall and legs lifted against his sunken chest he slowly drifted into the state he was getting very used to.

Dumbledore walked along the corridors of Azkaban, a jumpy guard at his wake. When he'd woken up half a month ago, he couldn't believe his ears when he heard where Harry was. It had taken a huge load of talking and persuading and Merlin only knows what else to get Fudge to sign Harry's releasing papers. Dumbledore only hoped that he wasn't too late…

Dumbledore stopped in front of Harry's cell and turned towards the guard. They both had their Patronuses; Dumbledore's phoenix was sitting on his shoulder and the guard's toad was jumping around him.

"Is it this one?" Dumbledore asked.

The guard nodded and reached for the keys. He was shivering, even though the Dementors were staying at a fair distance. The Potter's cell was one of the best guarded in the whole prison; it had at least a dozen Dementors around it all the time.

The door opened and a small ray of light entered the cell. At first Dumbledore didn't see anyone in there. He was about to ask the guard if the man was really sure this was the right cell when his eyes caught a glimpse of a figure in the corner.

Dumbledore took the lamp from the guard and advanced further into the cell. What he saw made him nearly drop the lamp to the floor.

Harry was sitting in the corner, his legs raised against his chest and his hands wrapped around them. His chin was pressed against his knees and his eyes had a totally empty look as he glared to the opposite wall. Harry's face was whiter than ash and his cheeks were sunken, making him look like a walking skeleton. And he was thin. Dumbledore could see almost nothing but bones as he looked at the boy and a wave of pity rose within him.

Dumbledore crouched next to Harry.

"Harry?" Dumbledore said softly.

Harry showed no response that he'd heard or understood what had just been said.

"He's clearly gone nuts, if you ask me," the guard said from the doorway. "He was already insane when they brought him in. I saw it. He was snickering. And he's almost the highest guarded prison in here and all the others are as nuts as they come."

Dumbledore stood up slowly, taking Harry by his arm and pulling him along as well. Harry still had the blank look in his face and it didn't stir in the slightest as Dumbledore gently led him through the door and along the corridors into the Warden's office.

*_*_*

During all the formalities Harry just sat on the chair where Dumbledore had placed him, staring into nothingness. Dumbledore signed the releasing papers and took Harry's wand from the officer before collecting Harry from the chair and led him to the boat.

They were on the other side of the water, the sea between them and the Prison. And still Harry showed no reaction. Not even when Dumbledore placed Harry's hand onto the Portkey and they were pulled away.

Harry and Dumbledore appeared in the infirmary, in one of the private rooms. There were only a few people there; Professors McGonagall, Hermione, Ron, Madam Pomfrey and Sirius. Almost all of them gasped as they took in Harry's appearance. His mouth was hanging slightly open and he still had the 'I-am-not-here-at-all' look. His eyes were focusing to nothing as Dumbledore led him to the bed and made him sit down.

Hermione had tears in her eyes as she looked at her friend. She buried her face to Ron's shoulder and started to sob quietly as Ron wrapped a comforting arm around her. Professor McGonagall didn't look fierce at all. In fact, she seemed to be holding back tears as well. They all watched as Madam Pomfrey approached Harry and gently removed his shirt.

Sirius closed his eyes for a while before getting the strength to open them again. Harry was extremely emaciated and Sirius could count all of his ribs from where he was standing almost three feet away.

Madam Pomfrey gave Harry a full check and cleaning before announcing that apart from being emaciated, there seemed to be nothing wrong with Harry.

"You mean he's not…" Ron asked, his voice sounding extremely strained.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "His mind is okay. Well, as okay as it can be, after spending two and a half months locked up with those monsters."

"How many of them were there?" McGonagall asked Dumbledore.

The Headmasters eyes clouded before he answered.

"I'd say at least twenty, Minerva," he said quietly and Sirius swallowed hard. He'd had three Dementors at most around his cell and he had been accused for mass-murder. Funny little world.

"I think Harry has somehow managed to block everything out and retreat into the depths of his mind. As we can't get him out, all we can do is wait for him to come out of it himself," Madam Pomfrey said, changing Harry into soft pyjamas and manoeuvring him into the bed.

"Can I try to talk to him?" Sirius asked.

Madam Pomfrey contemplated for a while before giving her statement.

"You can always try, but I don't think it'll help. Only you though. Everyone else out!"

Pomfrey ushered everyone out and closed the door behind her.

The past months had been pure torture to Sirius, as he knew exactly what Harry had to go through in that Hell on Earth. Sirius kicked off his shoes and climbed next to Harry on the bed.

Harry was lying on his back, staring idly to the ceiling. Nothing stirred in his face as Sirius slowly waved his hand in front of it. Sirius bit his lip and lowered his hand so that it was hovering over Harry's cheekbone. He caressed the skin softly and was shocked at feeling how waxy Harry's skin felt. His eyes had sunk deep into their sockets and he had a haunted look in them. Harry's hair looked dry and for the first time Sirius saw it flat. It made Harry look odd, as his ebony black hair was a great contrast to his paper-white face. Sirius sighed deeply before pulling Harry into his arms, snaking his hands around the boy and feeling every of his bones under his hands.

"Please, Harry. Don't do this to me…" It was the faintest of whispers.

*_*_*

Harry was 'sitting' next to the shiny object once again. He in fact _did_ see Dumbledore when he walked into Harry's cell and was aware of everything that happened after that, although it was like looking from the wrong end of binoculars. Everything was just so far away… The only thing that prevented him from retreating from his meditation was that this wasn't the first time when something like this 'happened' to him. He had believed it so many times and come back to reality, only to find that he was still in his cell and it had all been just the production of his imagination or the high fever he'd had more than once. So, it was quite natural for Harry to want to cling into this delusion as he felt arms wrap around him.

_The first time I've ever actually felt anything during these things. Quite interesting. My brains must be getting better at this. Or I just became completely insane without noticing it... _

But Harry's certainty that this was a hallucination wavered as he felt Sirius' warmth next to him and a small breath that tickled his ear in the slightest as he heard Sirius' whispered words.

Harry struggled with himself for a long while. Should he return to reality and almost definitely experience the disappointment and despair that was bound to come as soon as he'd be 'back' in his cell? Or should he just enjoy this as long as possible?

Steeling his mind for the almost one hundred percent certain disappointment and grief that Harry was sure was about to come, he slipped away from his meditation. But the supposed mirage didn't fade away as Harry returned to reality. He was indeed wrapped in Sirius' arms, his head pressed against Sirius' shoulder.

Harry blinked a few times, trying to understand.

_So it really wasn't a hallucination?? I'm really out of there?!!!_

Harry took a shivering breath and lifted his hand slowly, touching Sirius' side. Feeling that his fingers didn't go through it, Harry slipped his hand to Sirius back. He felt his head being lifted and his eyes soon met Sirius' grey ones, filled with relief.

"S-Si-Siri…" Harry's voice was just a hoarse whisper from the lack of using it and the fact that his throat was as dry as the Sahara's desert.

But Sirius heard it. And a wide smile spread in his face as he waved his wand, summoning water and a goblet. It took Harry's brains a long while to understand what the expression on Sirius' face meant.

Sirius shifted so that he was leaning on the headboard of the bed. He pulled Harry to sit between his legs, the teens back pressed firmly against Sirius' chest and his head leaning to Sirius' shoulder as he tried to drink the water with shaky hands. Sirius placed his own hand over Harry's and steadied the goblet, helping Harry to drink it.

After Harry'd drunk as much as he could, he sighed a bit ant turned so that his side was against Sirius' chest. Harry curled up in a ball and nuzzled deeper into Sirius' warmth, feeling the other man's hands circle around him protectively and pulling Harry even closer.

Only after a long while Harry opened his mouth again.

"Is this real?" Harry's voice was still raw but his throat didn't hurt so much.

Sirius tightened his embrace even more, knowing exactly how Harry felt.

"As real as it gets, Sunny boy," Sirius whispered and gave Harry a peck on his hair.

"Good. Nice to know I'm not completely insane."

Harry's voice made small shivers go down Sirius' spine. It was terrifying to hear Harry's voice, which used to be so lively and filled with emotion sounding so cold. Sirius understood though.

"Always thought you were a bit insane, actually," Sirius said, the faintest hint of humour audible in his voice. He felt Harry's body tighten and squeezed even harder. " It was the only reason I could come up with as to why you'd stand me."

Harry relaxed a bit and grabbed Sirius' t-shirt, clutching the fabric in his hand as he closed his eyes.

"I want to sleep," Harry muttered softly.

"Then sleep," Sirius whispered. "I'll be right here when you wake up."

"Promise?" Harry's voice was now nearly incoherent.

Sirius caressed Harry's hair.

"Promise."

Slowly Harry's breathing evened and became regular, but Sirius could tell that he wasn't in a deep sleep. It could take Harry months to sleep properly again after Azkaban.

Sirius heard faint footsteps coming their way and cast a quick deafening charm on Harry, not wanting to wake him up.

The door opened and Madam Pomfrey peered inside. He immediately saw the position Sirius and Harry were in and a small smile spread across her face as she approached the bed.

"I take it he came to?" Pomfrey whispered.

"Yup. A while ago." Sirius smiled softly.

"You okay there like that or do you want me to move him?"

"I'm fine, Madam Pomfrey. I'll move when he wakes up."

Pomfrey nodded and retreated from the room and walked to her office to inform the Headmaster about the turn of events.

*_*_*

When Harry woke up he prayed with his all might that last 'night' hadn't been a hallucination. Relief floated into him as he felt something warm pressed against his side. Harry opened his eyes in the slightest and sighed as he saw the room and Sirius.

_Thank Merlin. I'd definitely tried to kill myself if it had all been a mirage._

Harry turned his head a bit upwards and saw that Sirius was looking at him with the faintest of smiles.

"Slept well?" Sirius asked.

"Not really."

"I don't blame you. Now go and take a shower."

Harry blinked a few times.

"A shower?"

"Madam Pomfrey's orders, lov."

Harry tilted his head a bit before he crawled out of Sirius' embrace to the edge of the bed. He stood up wobbly and took support of Sirius, as he slipped behind Harry.

"You want me to come with you?" Sirius asked, eyeing Harry's stance a bit.

Harry turned around to look at Sirius and the man was happy to see a flicker of an emotion in Harry's eyes.

"I think not." Harry's voice was still a quiet hoarse. "I can pretty much guess where it'll go from there and I don't think that my highly malnourished body will be able to endure it."

It felt odd to Harry to be feeling anything positive but he welcomed it with open arms. After all, despair and negative feelings isn't something you want to keep by your side for the rest of your life.

Sirius looked mock-hurt but smiled nonetheless. "You make me sound a bit offensive, here, Sunny boy."

Harry just shook his head and walked wobbly towards the bathroom.

* * *

There! He's out!

Reviews?

*counseling room*

Sirius: Long time no see, Dowash.

Dowash: *bounces in her chair* yep yep. Been busy and all that.

Sirius: Like throwing Harry into Azkaban? *death glare*

Dowash: Necessary, my dear Sirius. Necessary. But I'll make it up to you, don't worry.

Sirius: *grins* I know you will. I saw what you wrote.

Dowash: You! That was private!

Sirius: No it wasn't. I'm in it. And I still dont' forgive you for tying me up. *rubs his wrists*

Dowash: I had to! Besides, I got a review telling me not to make Harry a fugitive!

Sirius: I would've been with him! I was on the run for two years!

Dowash: If Harry had been a fugitive, you wouldn't have been able to have sex anymore.

Sirius: What? Why?!

Dowash: Simple as ever, I see. You two, on the run. Always hiding. What if they caught you in the middle of doing something... fun?

Sirius: *sighs* ...

Dowash: See? I'm always right. *winks*


	12. Chapter 12

Here I am again!!! I'm SO sorry for the long wait, but... WAIT!!! No excuses!! *but.. but...* Well, if you don't want to listen to me whining, jump over the next part.

So, do you ever have the days when, as you wake up in the morning, you'd just want to curse the whole world for existing and waking you up at 6.30 am after a shitty night? And you'd just _love_ to bury yourself back between the blankets and stay there for the whole week. But you know you have to wake up and go to school and look energetic and like you give even the slightest shit what they're teaching to you. Well, welcome to my week, then. Thank God tomorrow's Friday! :D

Okay, whining over! You're on the safe grounds again! Phew, that really helped a lot! I really try to avoid blabbering too much about myself and my problems here xP

Well, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

It felt amazing. Harry was still sure that he'd wake up in his cell and find out that all of this was just a sick illusion that his twisted brain had come up with in a last resort to keep him in the books of sane people. But as days slowly passed and Harry gained some strength he started to believe that this really _was_ real.

Harry spent almost all of his time with Sirius. Ron and Hermione came to see him regularly and helped him with his slow catching-up as Madam Pomfrey had deemed Harry healthy enough to start studying a few days ago. The Christmas Holiday would begin in a week. Dumbledore had come to talk to Harry a few days after he'd been discharged and placed to live with Sirius in the castle.

**Flashback**

Harry had been sitting on the couch at the living room of the quarters he now shared with Sirius. He strongly regarded that it was Sirius' doing that he was able to be there instead of the common room. Although it surely was the topic of gossiping.

Harry heard a small knock on the door and as he raised his gaze from the book he saw that Dumbledore was standing in the doorway, his eyes twinkling. To Harry's eyes, there seemed to be nothing wrong with the old wizard and he was happy about it.

"Good evening, Harry," Dumbledore said, coming into the room and sitting on an armchair in front of Harry.

"Good evening, Professor," Harry said. His voice was getting better but it was still a loud hoarse whisper at most. Harry didn't know the reason for that, as there seemed to be nothing wrong with his throat.

"How are you, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that, Professor?" Harry said, lowering his gaze to the book and fingering the pages.

Dumbledore chuckled a bit. "It was a payment of my foolishness, Harry. I'm perfectly okay now."

"But-"

"No buts, Harry," Dumbledore said softly.

Harry lifted his eyes carefully and met Dumbledore's sparkling blue eyes that were twinkling benevolently.

"What happened?" Harry's voice was reduced to a whisper and his face twisted a bit as he remembered the pain he'd felt.

Dumbledore sighed heavily and looked a bit remorseful.

"I told you. It was because of my foolishness. Tell me, have you had dreams about Voldemort's doings in the past months?"

Harry flinched a bit. He didn't like commemorating his dreams regarding that subject. The dreams had been unsettling at least before and during his stay in _there_ the horrors of them had seemed to become magnified. Harry'd tried to sleep as little as possible.

"Yes…"

Dumbledore nodded as if something had been confirmed in his speculations.

"I believe," Dumbledore started," that you have a sort of a connection to Voldemort. Through the Killing Curse that backfired." Dumbledore pointed to Harry's forehead a bit. "It allows you to feel when he's close or extremely murderous. And, recently, it's allowed you to slip into his mind, seeing what he sees."

"So- I'm- _bound_ to Voldemort?" Harry blinked hard. The mere thought of that made him feel nauseous.

"In a way, yes. That was why I wanted you to learn Occlumency. For you to be able to protect your mind from him. Because if you could enter his mind, I knew it would only be a matter of time before he'd notice your presence and try to do the same vice versa. So I decided to teach you." Dumbledore shook his head. "A huge mistake and I paid for it. I knew that Voldemort might try to invade your mind but I hoped that it wouldn't happen on our first try. I hoped that I would have the time to teach you how to block him away before that happened. But I was wrong."

A tear escaped from Dumbledore's eye and slid down his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Harry. No-one should be forced to go to Azkaban. A hundred timed less if they did nothing to deserve it."

Harry pursed his lips and looked away.

_What does he want?! For me to burst into tears as well and say that I forgive him?! He should've told me! Or be more prepared if he knew that this might happen!_

A thought hit Harry as something Fudge had said floated into his mind.

"_We have a witness…"_

Harry looked back at Dumbledore and the look on his face wasn't pretty.

"Who was it?"

Dumbledore looked a bit bewildered.

"Who was who, Harry?"

"The witness that claimed seeing me to torture you to death."

Harry remembered thinking that it was Sirius but he didn't want to believe it. It _couldn't_ have been Sirius.

"It was Professor Snape, Harry."

Harry tossed the book aside and was about to get up when he was hit by a binding-charm and his legs and butt seemed to be glued to the sofa.

Harry's eyes were burning as he looked at the Headmaster who still had the twinkle in his eyes.

"It won't do if you go around cursing my teachers, Harry. Besides, Severus was only acting on my orders and slightly misinterpreted the situation."

"Your orders?!"

"I agreed on Severus' request to put a trace on me that would alarm him should anything happen to me."

"And he _slightly misinterpreted_?!!"

As Harry was bound, he could do naught but glare. His temper was rising quickly and he felt it whirling in his head, making it ache. All of the class in the room started to crackle slightly as Harry started to hiss to Dumbledore.

"So it was that overgrown bat whose fault it was that I was carted to that living Hell? It didn't even occur to him that- that…"

All of the class in the room violently exploded and Harry clutched his head, moaning slightly in pain as it felt like his head was splitting in two. He faintly heard Sirius entering the room and coming next to him. Harry was rocking back and forth slightly, trying to block the feelings out. It was too much for him. He felt too much…

"Calm down, Harry," Sirius said to and wrapped his arms around the shivering boy.

"Hurts…" Harry whimpered, gasping for air.

"I know, I know. Just breathe, okay..."

Harry's eyes were squinted shut and he tried to concentrate solely on Sirius' low voice that was whispering soothing words to his ear, rocking his body gently.

Harry leaned his head to Sirius' shoulder and listened to his breathing, trying to adjust his own ragged breathing to match the slow rising and falling of Sirius' chest. Slowly the pain dissolved as Harry managed to strengthen his shields against his overwhelming turmoil of emotions. After two months of feeling almost nothing it nearly killed him if his emotions took over.

The last thing Harry felt before fainting was the steady beat of Sirius' heart against his palm.

**End of Flashback**

Now Harry was sitting on the couch again. He had no recollection of what had happened after his outburst. Sirius had only said that Dumbledore had said he was sorry and that if Harry wanted to continue the lessons, he could go and see the Headmaster. Harry had woken up in bed, with a killer headache.

Harry was trying his best to finish the last of his seemingly never ending list of homework. The last one was an essay for the Umbridge-eider. Sirius came to sit next to him on the couch and peered over Harry's shoulder.

"Are you writing a novel?" Sirius inquired. He wrapped his arm loosely around Harry's waist and gave him a soft peck to the nape.

"Ha ha," Harry said. He sounded highly irritated. "It's an essay to the Umbitch. I seriously wonder if she even reads these. Just flaps a fail-stamp on every one of them, that's my guess." Harry's voice still wasn't any better.

Sirius chuckled lightly before letting go of Harry and sitting properly at the end of the sofa, lifting his legs to the table and starting to read. This was a common thing they did. Harry would do his homework and Sirius would sit next to him, reading.

An hour ticked by and finally Harry straightened and stretched, muffling a yawn.

"Free days are so not meant for catching up," Harry said, although he didn't sound so irritated anymore. "Although I'll be able to enjoy the Holidays now."

The Christmas Holidays had started the day before and they were supposed to go to Grimmauld Place the day after tomorrow.

Harry grabbed a pillow and placed it on Sirius' lap before lying down and putting his head on the pillow.

"Do you mind?" Harry asked and looked at Sirius.

Sirius looked down to Harry and smiled faintly.

"Why yes, indeed. It is highly disturbing to have an angel on your lap," Sirius said with an exaggerated wink. Then the smile widened and Sirius slipped his hand to Harry's hair, caressing his ear softly.

Harry smiled a bit as well, turning so that he was lying on his left side, cheek pressed against the pillow. He could feel Sirius' fingers playing with his hair as he slowly dozed off.

*_*_*

An hour or so later Ron and Hermione entered the quarters that Harry and Sirius shared and made their way to the living room. The scene they saw made them stop at the doorway and blink their eyes. Harry and Sirius were still on the same position, Sirius' hand absentmindedly stoking Harry's hair as he was reading a book that was on the arm of the chair. Harry was more or less curled up in a ball.

Ron and Hermione smiled and were about to turn around, not wanting to disturb the other two when they saw Harry crack an eye open and sit up slowly. Sirius raised his eyes from the book and saw Ron and Hermione.

"'lo, Hermione, Ron," Sirius said and smiled a bit, closing the book. Harry rubbed his eyes before he sat properly next to Sirius.

"Hi," they said and sat on the armchairs in front of the sofa.

"How are you, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I'm fine, Hermione," Harry said.

Ron and Hermione smiled.

"Done with your homework, mate?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Harry croaked and tried to tame his hair that was a dishevelled mess once again. It didn't matter that his hair reached over his shoulders now; it still stuck out in all directions. "I got it done-err- how long ago?" Harry looked at Sirius who turned his head to look at the clock.

"An hour ago, Sunny boy," Sirius said before looking at Harry again and tilting his head a bit. "Slept well?"

"Better than in a while," Harry admitted. "A human pillow seems to work quite well." Harry winked a bit.

Sirius looked mock-hurt. "That's all I'm good enough? To act as your pillow?!"

"Dear Sirry-Birry, that's exactly what your good enough for. Glad we could make that one clear."

Hermione and Ron looked at their friend with smiles on their faces. Harry seemed to be much better now, it was almost like he hadn't ever been in Azkaban. They were sure it was because of Sirius, the other man could understand perfectly what Harry'd gone through. It had taken some getting used to that Harry spent nearly all of his time with Sirius but they saw that it helped Harry a great deal.

"So, what about Quidditch?" Harry asked. "Did they replace me?"

"Yeah. Ginny's been playing Seeker and I've been the Keeper," Ron said, fingering his robes.

"You're on the team?" Harry asked surprised. "Wow, congrats."

"Thanks," Ron muttered.

"So, um… Harry?" Hermione said. She wasn't quite sure how she should present her request.

"What?"

"You… um… You know that we haven't been able to use spells in DADA this year, right?"

"I do. I indeed _was _in those lessons in the beginning." Harry sounded mildly humoured and Hermione dared to continue.

"You see... While you were… in _there_-" Harry pursed his lips and his whole body tensed. Hermione hurried to continue,"- we kind of established a club that was aimed for teaching willing people about actually _using _defensive spells."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Who taught them?"

"I did," Sirius said.

Harry turned towards Sirius a bit and tilted his head.

"Really?"

"Yup."

"What did you teach them?" Harry asked Sirius curiously.

Sirius shrugged a bit. "Didn't have the time to teach them anything but the basics. We started a bit after …"

Harry pursed his lips. "I see, and ... why are you telling me this?" He turned back to face Hermione.

"Well, we kinda thought that- now that you're back … You could … Err ..."

"That you could teach us as well, mate," Ron filled in.

"And how many is 'us,' exactly?"

"About thirty people," Sirius said cheerfully.

"And why, do tell, would I want to teach people that more than likely think that I'm completely insane? I can't even teach. By the way, was there an excuse as to why Dumbledore was suddenly on sick-leave and I was carted to the Hellhole?"

"They don't think you're crazy, Harry. No matter what the Proph-" Hermione slapped her hand across her mouth and looked terrified at what she'd just nearly said.

"What _does _the Prophet write?" Harry asked, pursing his lips a bit.

Sirius scoffed. "What do you think it writes? Anyway, the excuse was that Dumbledore had asked you to help him with a research-thingy that backfired and thus blaa-blaa."

Harry raised an eyebrow in great disbelief. "A research-thingy gone wrong? Did anyone buy it? Were they desperate or something?"

"Actually, I think they were," Sirius said with a lopsided smirk. "They had to come up with something quickly. And no, I don't think that many bought it. But they just had to settle for it. Although it arose a lot of questions as to why you would've been helping Dumbledore."

Harry snorted. "I'm the Boy-Who-Fucking-Lived after all. I'm allowed to have privileges," the bitterness was clearly audible in Harry's voice.

"Would you think about it, Harry? Please?" Hermione nearly pleaded.

"I'll think about it," Harry answered.

Hermione's face lit up immediately. "Good! And did you know? Hagrid is back!"

"Yeah."

Hermione glanced at her clock and poked Ron with her elbow. "I think we should go, Ron. It's almost ten."

With that, the two of them rose to their feet and bid goodnight to Harry and Sirius.

Harry listened until he couldn't hear their footsteps anymore before he slipped into Sirius' lap. The warmth of the other man's body gave him great comfort. Sirius wrapped his arms around Harry, pulling him closer.

Harry slipped lightly into his meditating state and after a while slid a bit further to the state what he called 'sniffing'. It allowed him to see the magic that was floating around him and 'sniff' it, thus the name. Harry immediately 'saw' Sirius. It was always calming to look at him. His magic floated gently around him and Harry could almost see Padfoot as well in Sirius' magical aura. He had come to notice that everyone had a different colour in their magic. Sirius' was the deepest of blues, like the sky just before it becomes completely black.

Harry felt Sirius move a bit and came out of his meditation.

"What is it?" Harry asked. His voice sounded a bit muffled as his head was pressed firmly to Sirius' shoulder.

"Time for bed, I think." Sirius sounded mildly humoured, like he didn't believe he had to say something like that. "You have your lesson tomorrow right?"

"Mmh …"

Professor McGonagall had come to see Harry the day before and asked if Harry would like to have a lesson before he went to Grimmauld Place. Harry'd asked why wouldn't they just continue there but the Professor had just shaken her head and deemed it 'impossible.'

Sirius got up, picked up Harry, and carried him to their bedroom. They did have two bedrooms in the quarters but Harry resented the idea of sleeping alone. They always sealed the Portrait-Entrance when they went to bed, not wanting anyone to burst in. Even though Harry and Sirius had come to a silent understanding not to do anything while still in school, it might've been difficult to explain why they shared a bed.

Sirius laid Harry to the bed carefully and Harry sat up, starting to get rid of his clothes. Once they both had their pyjamas on Harry nuzzled into Sirius warmth, throwing his arm and leg over Sirius' torso, while Sirius was lying on his back, Harry on his side next to him. Sirius caressed Harry's side gently with his fingertips and Harry entwined their fingers on Sirius' chest, his head also atop it.

They laid like that for a long while before either of them spoke. Then Harry broke the comfortable silence.

"How did you survive in there?" Harry's voice was the faintest of whispers.

Sirius pulled Harry a little closer and was quiet for a long time. He didn't need to ask where Harry meant.

"Dunno," Sirius said, rubbing Harry's knuckles a bit. "When it all was too much I could just turn into Padfoot. The feelings were simpler then. And I only had three Dementors by my cell. It matters a great deal how many of them are there. And I knew I was innocent. It kept me sane. Also the thought of what exactly I'd do to the rat if I ever got out helped me out."

Harry tightened his grip on Sirius' hand.

"But you were there for twelve years. And when you got out you were almost unaffected."

Sirius sighed.

**I really hate to talk about that but I guess it can't be helped.**

"Swimming for three hours straight in icy-cold water can clear anyone's head, Sunny boy. You're not weak, Harry. If you insist that it affected me less than you then I can give you two reasons as to why: 1, I didn't have an army of those soul-sucking bastards just outside my cell and 2, there are true horrors in your past. I doubt many people can go through what you have, spend nearly three months in Azkaban and come out sane."

"Professor Lupin said so too," Harry murmured softly, now playing slightly with Sirius' fingers.

"Huh?"

"In my third year. That there are true horrors in my past..."

"Oh, Merlin. Did I say something same as Moony?! Call the Healers, please! I've seemed to obtain a boring-flag!!"

Harry snorted just a little. He felt Sirius lift his chin until his eyes met swirling depths of grey.

Sirius bent his head down until his lips met Harry's. The kiss felt gentle and just _was_.

Harry disentangled his fingers from Sirius' and buried his hand into Sirius' hair, pulling him closer. Sirius opened his mouth and licked Harry's lips slowly before biting the lower lip softly. Harry made a little sound before opening his mouth in the slightest, just enough for Sirius' tongue to slip in. Harry sucked it gently and enjoyed the feeling of happiness that was floating to him, magnified when Sirius made a small guttural noise before retreating from Harry's mouth and licking his teeth along the way, before sucking Harry's tongue to his own mouth. Sirius was now lying half on top of Harry and his hand had travelled to rest on Harry's hip, while the other one was pulling on Harry's neck, tilting his head back and making the kiss even deeper. Harry wrapped his hand around Sirius' neck and moaned a bit into the kiss. They'd kissed already by now, but they'd been light pecks on the lips or chaste ones.

Harry's head was beginning to be sweetly dizzy and whirling around when Sirius broke the kiss and leaned his forehead to Harry's. They were both panting, Harry a bit more than Sirius. His chest was rising and falling in a slightly irregular pattern and he looked a bit dazed. Sirius smiled and lifted his hand from Harry's hip, bringing it to Harry's face. He caressed Harry's lower lip with his thumb and leaned in again to suck it a bit harder this time. Harry groaned slightly and slipped his hand inside Sirius' t-shirt.

Suddenly Sirius pulled away from Harry and tilted his head when Harry made a move to follow him. Sirius smirked and pressed Harry's hands to the mattress.

"Not now, love," Sirius whispered into Harry's ear.

Harry made a disgruntled noise and shot a look to Sirius.

"You started this!" Harry's voice was a bit more raw than usual and he was still panting a bit.

Sirius' smirk widened. "Indeed I did. And now I'm telling you that we stop here for today."

"Who told you that you could just go and decide that?!" Harry was now supporting an extremely dark glare.

Sirius chuckled a bit before biting Harry's neck. Then he licked the spot he'd just bitten.

"I thought you said we'd stop here," Harry mumbled but didn't sound displeased at all, in fact, he was bending his neck to allow Sirius more space.

Sirius chuckled again before flopping to Harry's side and pulling him tightly against his chest so that they were spooning.

"Sleep," Sirius told Harry firmly as he wrapped his arms around the teen.

"How can you expect me to sleep after that?" Harry grumbled quietly, pressing himself even more against Sirius' body.

Sirius let out a devilish snicker before he bit Harry's ear and murmured into it.

"G'night, Harry," Sirius said, now licking Harry's ear. "Sweet dreams."

* * *

*counseling room*

Remus: (Sirius is busy *cough*): What am _I_ doing here?

Dowash: Sirius was busy. So you'll replace him for now.

Remus: What am I supposed to do?

Dowash: Listen to me whine. That's about it.

Remus: *resigns to his fate* What seems to be the problem, Dowash?

Dowash: *sigh* I'm having SOO much doubts about this fic at the present moment... Where should I put that scene? How should I do that part? Should I do this or that?... It's infuriating.

Remus: Well, since you won't let me see the scripts, I can't help you much with that. Why _can't_ I see them, by the way?

Dowash: Err... It's private.

Remus: *raises an eyebrow* You let Harry and Sirius see what you write.

Dowash: No I don't! They just sneak glances! Also, they seem to think the reviews are addressed to _them, _not me! I mean, c'mon! I'm the queen here! Sirius and Harry are only doing what I want them to do, to entertaining my imagination!

Remus: What _are_ they doing, then?

Dowash: None of your business. Ask the reviewers.

--

Reviews?


	13. Chapter 13

Here I am again! Sorry for the delay, but I hate my computer right now (niiice excuse =P) Anyway, a huge thanks to all the people who've reviewed so far!

So, a question. Am I a psycho? Let's have a vote. Everyone who thinks that Dowash is a psycho, hands up. *Sirius and Harry raise their hands*

Let's ignore the boys.

There's a REASON for this ramble (for once). I got a review stating that I am a psycho for writing something like this.

I forgot to put this note at the beginning, so I'll put it here: All flames will be harshly laughed at before they go to warm up my inner mind theater. If you don't like this kind of pairing (which I find a bit odd, if you've read this far) then don't read. There's a 'back'-button there for a purpose. The rest of you, who are dying to read Harry&Sirius getting hot and heavy, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter here.

And yess!!!! I remembered!!! Thanks soooo much, my loovely beta **smiley12cool**!!!

* * *

Sirius was with Harry as he went to his extra-lesson. Harry had a mischievous glint in his eyes as he shooed Sirius out when they started to hone Harry's Animagus-transformation. Even Sirius' puppy-eyes didn't work in front of the Professor and Harry, although they both looked highly amused. Padfoot snorted and went to sit in front of the door to McGonagall's office.

"Sirius?" It was Ron.

Padfoot moved his head a bit from between his paws and looked at Ron and Hermione who were standing a few feet away. He wagged his tail. They walked a bit closer and Sirius turned back to human, leaning his back to the wall and wrapping his arms around his legs, sulking.

"What's with you?" Hermione asked, clearly amused.

Sirius shot a dark glare towards the door.

"They kicked me out! Damn them!"

"They?" Ron and Hermione both raised an eyebrow.

"You mean Harry's in McGonagall's office? Why?" Hermione questioned.

Sirius snickered. "You don't need to know right now. I'm sure Harry will tell you."

At the same time, the door opened and Harry peered outside.

"The order came that you can come in now, Sirry-Birry. 'lo, Ron, Hermione." Harry shot a dazzling smile to his friends while Sirius got up with a look of triumph and rushed into the room.

"Harry, what-?"

"I'll tell you later 'kay?" Harry winked and closed the door, leaving two very bewildered youths standing in the corridor.

*_*_*

It was the morning they were supposed to go to Grimmauld Place.

"How are we getting there?" Harry asked. He had picked up his trunk from the dorms and was now packing it.

"By floo," Sirius answered.

Harry nodded and shut his trunk. "From where?"

"There seems to be a perfectly fine fireplace behind you, Harrykins." Sirius smirked a bit.

It was nearly noon. They'd woken up about an hour ago and went to the kitchen for 'breakfast' before coming back here and finishing their packing.

"Time to go, Harrykins," Sirius announced and grabbed his bag. "You want to go first or shall I?" Sirius made an exaggerated bow towards Harry, pointing to the fire.

"I think that I'll go," Harry said and grabbed a bit of floo powder from the mantelpiece, throwing it into the flames. His trunk was conveniently shrunken and placed in his pocket.

"But I still don't like flooing," Harry said before walking into the flames and yelling 'Grimmauld Place Twelve', disappearing.

Harry stumbled out of the fireplace in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, coughing ash out of his mouth and trying, unsuccessfully, to stop the spinning of his head. He'd almost steadied himself when Sirius came out of the floo and knocked them both off-balance, making them fall to the ground with a loud thud.

"Humph!" It was the only sound Harry could make as his lungs were knocked out of air.

"Really, Sunny boy! You couldn't move out of the way now could you? Although I don't blame you. Anyone would want to end up lying on the floor under me, I'm sure of that. Really, you should have-"

"Sirius," It was the very amused voice of one Remus Lupin, coming from the doorway.

Sirius looked up and ignored Harry who was trying to push him off.

"Yes, Moony? Something you wanted? We're having a moment here, can't you see that?"

"And does your 'moment' include suffocating Harry? I highly doubt that he would want to be crushed to death by your swollen head. Now get up."

With an exaggerated sigh Sirius got up and pulled Harry up with him.

Remus smiled. "Hello, Harry."

Harry was still coughing a bit but managed to get a smile on his face between the coughs.

"Hello, Professor."

"I think we can drop with the 'professor' already, Harry. Moony or Remus is fine."

"Okay."

Kreacher hurried to the kitchen.

"Would Harry, sir, like some water?"

Harry smiled again at seeing the elf.

"Thanks, Kreacher." His voice was even hoarser now that he had been coughing for the last five minutes. He really didn't know what was wrong with it.

Remus frowned a bit. "Harry, are you alright? You're voice sounds a bit-"

"I'm OK, Remus," Harry said and thanked the elf for the water. He drank it in one go and sighed in relief as the itching in his throat subsided. "My voice has been like this for a while now."

Harry watched as realization dawned in Remus' eyes.

"Can something be done about it?"

Harry shrugged. "Dunno. There seems to be nothing wrong with me. Pomfrey just said to wait. If it heals, it heals. If not, well. I can live with it."

"Is everyone here yet, Moony?" Sirius asked.

"They came at the same time as you. I'd like to know how Dumbledore managed to get the Portkeys."

"Should Kreacher take sir's, trunk to his room?"

"Yeah, thanks, Kreacher," Harry said.

"Well," Remus said. "Harry, I'd imagine that you want your presents tomorrow, so that-" But he was cut off by Sirius who was waving his hands frantically.

"So that what?" Harry asked frowning. "And why would I want my presents tomorrow? The Christmas Eve isn't until at the end of the week."

Remus was blinking and turned to look at Sirius.

"You mean you haven't…"

Sirius shook his head, looking a bit displeased with his friend.

"Oh," was all that Remus said.

Harry's frown deepened.

"What?"

Remus glanced at him before turning back to Sirius.

"Sorry, Paddy. I thought you told him already."

"Told me what?!" Harry was getting slightly irritated. It wasn't enough that Sirius had teased him nearly to death the other day and stopped like hitting a wall but now he'd planned something and forgotten to tell him?!

"Err…I'll leave you to it," Remus said and all but scurried off quickly. He'd known Lily and Harry's temper was as bad as hers had been, if not worse.

The door slammed shut and Harry turned to look at Sirius who was presently biting his lip a bit.

"Shit, I didn't want to tell you yet. It was supposed to be a surprise," Sirius muttered and sank to sit on a chair, casting locking and silencing charms on the door and then tapping his fingers to the table. He glanced at Harry. The teen was still looking at him but had his mask on again.

**Suppressing feelings again. Should I be glad or not?  
**  
Sirius sighed and leaned his hand to the table.

"We're going near the sea tomorrow," Sirius said.

Harry blinked for a while.

"What?"

_I seem to be asking this a lot today…_

Sirius sighed again and looked a bit pleading.

"Do I have to tell you more? It was supposed to be a complete surprise! Damn that Moony for fucking this up!!"

"So… umm… Why are we going there?"

Sirius gave Harry a wide smirk.

"What, you don't want to be alone with me? Somewhere with no people around for at least ten square kilometres?" Sirius winked to Harry.

Harry tilted his head and swallowed.

"An interesting offer…"

"Isn't it? Now don't try to pry anything else or I'll change my mind about this."

Harry sighed. "I'll be quiet like a wall."

_Oh yeah. That reminds me…_

Harry walked next to Sirius and was about to slip into his lap.

"Are the doors locked?"

"Yup. Just who do you think I am?"

Harry smiled and slid himself on top of Sirius, giving him a deep kiss.

"Thanks, Siri."

"Thank me after the trip."

"How are Ron and Hermione, by the way?"

Sirius frowned a bit before he understood.

"Aah! The love section huh? Well, no progress, unfortunately. They're fun to monitor, though. I don't think the two of them even realizes it…"

*_*_*

Harry was nearly bouncing through the house for the rest of the day. He could even almost stand Mrs. Weasley's surely good-willing speeches about the injustice of the world and blah blah. But when it started to solely become an inquiry about Harry's mental state in hidden meanings he'd had enough.

They were at the dinner table. Mrs. Weasley was saying something about how Azkaban should be closed completely, how inhuman it was to deem the prisoners into bound to come madness.

Harry slammed his goblet to the table with a loud clack. It took everyone's attention and they flinched at seeing Harry's face. He wasn't wearing the merriest of expressions at the moment.

"So you're saying that I'm insane?" Harry asked from Mrs. Weasley, tilting his head a bit, a small smile twisting his lips. But the smile was dark and so were his eyes.

"What? But Harry dear, of course not!"

"You just said it yourself. That anyone who goes to Azkaban is bound to become insane. It was the same as telling to my face that I'm a lunatic, dear Molly, along with Sirius here. I'm not deaf, you know."

"I was just saying that the whole prison should be shut down! It's not human to put people near those monsters!"

"Some people deserve it, Molly."

"How can you say something like that?! You were there yourself! You know what it's like!"

A horrible smile twisted Harry's lips even more.

"Yes, Molly. I'm quite aware that I was there myself, but thanks for telling me. I might have just forgotten otherwise, that I was thrown in there for supposedly torturing Dumbledore nearly to death!" Harry's voice cracked a bit. "But I meant it when I said that some people really deserve it!!"

Harry kicked his chair aside and stormed out of the kitchen. He went straight to his room and slammed the door shut as hard as he could. The bang from it could be heard in the kitchen as well.

Sirius tilted his head a bit and looked to the ceiling.

"I think," Sirius said, "that we'll leave with Harry, today."

Remus nodded curtly, looking at Molly with a bit of disgust in his eyes.

"I think that's for the best. I'll drop by to give Harry his presents at some point. I'll inform you beforehand."

Sirius nodded as well and stood up from the table, walking to the door.

*_*_*

Harry was once again pacing around his room. He wanted to hit something so badly right now. Harry spotted an ugly mirror in the corner of the room and punched it with all of his strength.

Harry gasped a bit as one of the shards penetrated the flesh between his knuckles. He leaned to the wall and just looked at his hand, relishing on the pain.

"Feeling better?" Sirius asked from the doorway.

Harry briefly looked at Sirius before returning his gaze to his hand.

"Yeah…"

Sirius locked the door and came next to Harry. He lifted Harry's hand and pulled the small shard of mirror off. Harry flinched a bit as it slid away. The blood was still slowly pouring from the cut, reaching his palm.

_It'__ll stain the carpet…  
_  
Sirius shifted his hold on Harry's hand a bit and started to lick his palm, sucking the blood away. Harry was a bit startled.

"Siri, what-?"

Harry was cut off as Sirius reached his knuckles and sucked the wound lightly, making it sting. Sirius tapped his wand on Harry's wound and muttered something, healing it.

"We're leaving," Sirius said, licking his lips.

"What? Weren't we supposed to leave tomorrow?"

"Doesn't really matter which day it is," Sirius shrugged a bit. "Or do you want to stay here?"

"Not really."

"Pack a few set of clothes with you. You won't need anything else."

Harry nodded and Sirius went to his own room through the passageway on the wall.

After ten minutes they were downstairs, leaving the house. Ron and Hermione caught up with them just as Harry was about to walk out of the door.

"Harry…"

But Harry just looked at them before following Sirius out of the house. They walked to a nearby alley so that they wouldn't be seen. Sirius wrapped his arms tightly around Harry and the teen grabbed Sirius waist. After Harry had filled his lungs with the clear night-air, Sirius apparated them away.

*_*_*

The first thing Harry noticed, when he could breathe again, was that the air smelled like the sea. When his eyes finally were used to the dark, Harry saw that they were in a forest. Behind them, where the tree line ended there seemed to be a sudden fall as the ground fell to the ocean. Harry could make out the small humming of the waves. If he craned his neck, he could faintly see the snow at the top of the trees and the night sky between them. There was no snow on the ground but when Sirius led Harry through the forest to a small clearing, Harry stopped dead on his tracks and his jaw definitely hit the ground.

In the clearing, covered in snow, was the most beautiful house Harry had ever seen. It seemed to have at least two floors and even without the lights on it looked highly alluring in the faint glow of the snow that was illuminated by the nearly full moon.

Harry turned to look at Sirius who was smiling faintly.

"Like it?" Sirius sounded very pleased with himself.

"'Like' would be an understatement, Sirius. It's beautiful!" Harry exclaimed barely containing his excitement.

"Glad it pleases your eye. Now let's go in."

Sirius grabbed Harry's hand again and as they stepped to the clearing Harry felt like he'd slipped through a smoky wall. He blinked and Sirius chuckled.

"It's just the wards."

Sirius led Harry to the front door and placed his hand on it. After several clanks the door swung inwards, allowing them to enter.

The lights flickered to the chandelier as they entered, bestowing the hallway with dim light that looked warm and welcoming. Harry looked around in amazement. There was a staircase starting from right next to him and disappearing to the upper floor. Straight ahead was a closed door at the end of the hallway and on the left side of the wall, in the middle, was a closed door as well. The hallway didn't have much furniture in it, only a rack and a bureau.

Sirius took his coat and shoes off and Harry followed his example, hanging his coat to the rack before following Sirius, who was about to give a small tour.

"The kitchen," Sirius said and opened the door that was in the middle of the corridor.

Through the faint light coming from the windows, Harry could make out a huge kitchen and an even bigger dining room. It all looked too big to fit inside the house if the size was judged by the outside. Magic truly was convenient.

"The living room," Sirius said and flung open the door to the room at the end of the hallway. Again, it looked too big to fit in, but Harry loved it. There were comfortable looking armchairs and sofas and bookshelves seemed to cover all the walls. There also seemed to be a huge fireplace and something that looked like an animal fur in front of it. It looked like it'd been decorated with good taste.

Sirius led Harry upstairs, the chandelier lighting up when they arrived. There indeed were only two floors. There were three doors here.

"Bedrooms," Sirius pointed to the doors on the right, down the landing. "Bathroom," he said and pointed to the door at the other side of the floor, opposite to the bedrooms.

Harry opened the door to the bathroom and looked inside. The chandelier there flickered a bit before it lightened. There was a huge bathtub along with a shower, sink and at least a dozen of mirrors. The walls were shining white and Harry blinked at facing the brightness.

_Hmm… Might be fun to take a bath in there with Sirius… Wait!! Concentrate!_

Harry retreated and looked to the bedrooms as well. They were both huge and the beds were enormous. In the room nearer to the stairs, there were at least two full sized mirrors and in the other room one of the walls was a mirror, stretching all the way from wall to wall and from roof to the floor at the wall opposite from the door. The bed in this room was to the right from the door, headboard against the wall, and there was a wardrobe at the other side.

Harry was blinking non-stop as he returned to the corridor between the doors.

"It… It's…"

Sirius was supporting a very wide smirk.

"I take it you'll bear it here?"

"It'll take huge persuasions from you to get me to stay," Harry said and flashed his eyelashes, highly exaggerating the movement as he leaned his side to the wall nearby.

"Good then," Sirius raised his hand and placed it against the wall next to Harry's head while grabbing Harry's chin with his other hand, lifting it up.

Harry raised an eyebrow and slid his fingers through the loops in Sirius' jeans.

Sirius smirk widened as he leaned closer to Harry until their lips were nearly touching.

"So, what do you want to do now?"

Harry licked his lips slowly.

"Eat."

"Eat?"

"Yup. I didn't have the chance to eat much at dinner so I'm kinda hungry here."

Sirius tilted his head a bit.

"I see we have a problem, then."

Harry raised an eyebrow, trying to think straight when Sirius warm breath brushed his face.

"We have?"

"Oh yes, we do. You see, what would you do if I said that I'm kinda hungry as well but that I want to eat something that I can _lick_ from your body, hmm?"

Harry tried to keep his eyes from fluttering shut as he heard Sirius' words and felt Sirius' lips caress his at every word.

Harry swallowed hard. "Then I see we would have a problem, if you didn't bring anything that would suffice as… licking-friendly."

Sirius smiled triumphantly and almost dragged Harry to the kitchen and to refrigerator.

_I really need to ask about this house from Sirius… But maybe later… __**Much**__ later…_

"So, ice cream or pudding?" Sirius asked tilting his head towards the fridge.

Harry tilted his head as well before smiling.

"Ice cream."

Sirius bowed his head bit. "Your will is my law, Sunny boy." He grabbed the ice cream from the fridge before shutting the door and turning fully towards Harry.

Sirius placed his hand on Harry's chest and pushed him gently until Harry's lower back was against the counter. Sirius placed the ice-cream on it and grabbed Harry's chin to his hand, pecking him on the lips. He slipped his hand underneath Harry's shirt and caressed his side, making Harry squirm a bit as it tickled.

Sirius opened the ice-cream and removed Harry's shirt in one swift movement. Harry's eyes were watching Sirius' fingers that now had ice-cream on them and he bit his lip and suppressed a shiver as the icy cold cream touched his skin just above his left nipple. Sirius licked it off slowly, making sure that his tongue slipped over the nipple as well. Harry moaned slightly and bent his head back a bit. But then his neck was grabbed and he felt Sirius' fingers on his lips, spreading the ice cream on them. It was melting already and Harry tilted his head so that it wouldn't fall to his chest.

Sirius' tongue came slowly and he licked Harry's face, getting rid of the ice cream efficiently and slipping his tongue into Harry's mouth as well, making the teen g asp as Sirius' tongue was cold against his own.

All of a sudden Sirius pulled away. He picked the ice cream up and slid his hand into Harry's hair, pulling him gently along as Sirius walked from the kitchen to the dining room. He pushed Harry gently to the table and Harry sat on it, leaning back to his elbows and Sirius noted with a  
smirk the bulge in the front of Harry's pants.

Sirius shifted so that he was between Harry's legs and dipped his fingers to the ice cream that was on the table. Harry bent his head as Sirius' fingers touched the skin below his ear and traced their way to the carotid where the fast beat of Harry's heart could be felt. Sirius smirked slyly and leaned forwards, sucking the spot where he could feel Harry's heart racing.

Harry gasped and bent his head even more. Sirius traced his lips up the trail of melting ice cream and sucked Harry's ear. His took more of the ice cream and started applying it to Harry's chest and abdomen until his fingers reached Harry's trousers. He lifted his lips from Harry's neck and licked them. Harry was now lying on the table his hands next to his head, panting slightly.

Sirius lowered his mouth again and with long licks he slurped the cold substance away. Harry's soft moans grew louder and louder as Sirius' mouth traced lower and lower until it reached Harry's jeans. With a final long-lasting lick, Sirius disposed of the ice cream for now. He lifted his mouth and placed his hand to Harry's groin, squeezing it.

Harry moaned loudly and bucked his hips upwards. Sirius chuckled and opened the button before unzipping Harry's pants teasingly slow, making sure to press hard enough for the movement of the zipper to rub against Harry's hard-on.

Harry made a low guttural voice and lifted his hips, silently begging Sirius to hurry up.

Sirius retreated from between Harry's legs and took off his socks before reaching back and placing a wet kiss on Harry's lower stomach. Sirius straightened and sneaked his fingers under Harry's jeans and boxers and started to pull them off as slowly as he could, making sure to lift up Harry's ass as well.

Harry tried to squirm so that Sirius would just hurry up and rose to his elbows again. He looked at Sirius, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Just take them off already!" Harry cried out, impatiently.

Sirius tilted his head a bit and looked at Harry with a smirk.

"Or what?"

Harry sighed a bit and sat up, pulling Sirius tightly against him by wrapping his legs around Sirius' waist. He slipped his hands under Sirius' shirt and disposed of it, getting some ice cream from the can to his fingers. Harry ran his fingers along Sirius' jaw line and neck before his tongue darted out and licked it off.

"You're not the only one who can do this, you know," Harry said huskily before biting Sirius' neck gently.

"That so?" Sirius asked as he slid Harry's pants off as much as they would go in his current position.

Harry made an affirmative sound and grabbed Sirius' neck, pulling him down for a searing kiss. Their tongues fought playfully for dominance. After a while, Harry gave in.

Sirius pulled Harry off of the table so that they were both standing. He yanked Harry's pants down and grabbed his now naked ass. Harry moaned a bit and pressed more of his body against Sirius'. Sirius let go of Harry and turned him around, pressing against him from behind. Harry arched his back and slipped his hand into Sirius' hair, a small moan escaping his parted lips as Sirius rubbed against him and touched his erection. And then he was suddenly flung to the table again, now so that his face was against it. Sirius reached for the ice cream again and bent a bit over Harry, licking his neck. He traced his fingers down Harry's spine, making him shiver as the cold substance hit his sensitive skin. Sirius ran his fingers all the way down to Harry's entrance and smirked a bit as Harry gasped and arched his back, trying to evade the coldness. Sirius started to lick the ice cream off once again. He used only the tip of his tongue as he followed the trail of the cream, not licking it off completely. He reached Harry's ass and licked there slowly, listening Harry's little groans. He spread Harry's legs a bit more, making him bend his back and move his ass towards Sirius.

Sirius grabbed Harry's hips and pulled him up, making sure that when Harry lifted his ass, Sirius could lick his entrance fully.

Harry twitched and moaned a bit as he felt the warmth and wetness circling his anus. He gasped and bent his head as he felt Sirius' tongue enter him. Harry could feel Sirius' fingers as well, spreading him even wider. Sirius started to lick his way up again. He had a mischievous smile on his face as he dipped his fingers fully to the ice cream. As his mouth was between Harry shoulder blades he slipped a finger inside Harry.

Harry gasped for air and would have squirmed if not for Sirius who was pressing him strongly against the table.

"Co- cold…" Harry managed to gasp before he closed his eyes tightly and let out a shivering moan as Sirius slipped a second finger in.

Sirius moved his fingers a bit and licked his lips as he looked at Harry. The teen had his eyes closed, his mouth was slightly open and a blush was painting his cheeks. Sirius moved his fingers slowly and watched as Harry arched his back and thrust his hips towards Sirius' hand with a yelp.

"Mo-aah-more," Harry muttered and felt a little drop of sweat glide down his face.

Sirius placed a third finger in and moved them a bit more roughly. Harry made a loud guttural noise and trembled violently as Sirius fingers hit his prostate. He leaned his head to his hand and with the other one he reached down until his hand met Sirius', stopping it.

"S-stop, Siri. You're killing me…" Harry murmured. He was panting heavily, his whole body tense.

With a low chuckle Sirius pulled his fingers out, making Harry gasp. He leaned his hands to the table and looked down on Harry with a small smile on his face.

"Which way do you want it?" Sirius asked as he moved his hand to his jeans, unbuttoning it and slowly opening the zipper. He bent his head a bit as the movement sent shivers through his spine. "Like this-" Sirius pressed himself a bit to Harry, making him groan, "-or the other way round?"

Sirius sneaked out of his pants and went to stand right next to Harry, who was twitching slightly on the table.

"The- the other way…" It was just a faint, shaky whisper.

Sirius grabbed Harry's leg and turned him so that he was once again lying on his back on the table. He pulled Harry's ass over the edge of the table and spread the boy's legs; putting Harry's other leg gently on his shoulder while the other one was loosely wrapped around his waist. Sirius grabbed Harry's hips and pressed in slowly.

Harry bit his lip and arched his head back as he felt Sirius slowly entering him. A loud groan passed his lips as Sirius grabbed Harry's thigh and bent his leg, releasing his waist. As Sirius was in to the hilt he slowly pulled out again. Harry bent his back and moaned loudly as Sirius pressed in again, going maddeningly slow.

"Fa- haa -faster!"

Sirius tilted his head but didn't comply. He just kept thrusting in and out extremely slow, making Harry moan and squirm in agony.

"Siri, please! You're making me go insane!"

Sirius smirked and slipped his hands to Harrys hips. He grabbed them firmly and thrust in fast, only to pull out maddeningly slow. At each thrust Harry shrieked a bit, only to whimper and wriggle when Sirius pulled out.

"Oh gods… Stop it, Siri…"

Sirius stopped as he was halfway in and arched an eyebrow.

"You want me to stop? Right now? You sure about that?" Sirius licked Harry's ham slowly and glanced at the youth who was fidgeting violently, head bent back.

"Jus- just fuck me already, Sirius!" Harry's voice was a hoarse groan as he opened his eyes and shot Sirius a look that was filled with pleading.

Sirius pulled away sharply and Harry moaned. He slid Harry's legs to the ground before pulling him up, grabbing him by the neck. Harry made a surprised sound as he was yanked from the table and straight to Sirius' arms. His legs felt extremely wobbly and Sirius had to support him.

Sirius bit Harry's neck harshly before flinging him to lie on the table, his face against it once again.

Harry had just enough time to fill his lungs with air before Sirius was on top of him and thrusting deep into his ass. Harry gasped and bent his head, clenching his fist and thrusting back towards Sirius.

Sirius rose a bit and grabbed Harry's waist while pressing Harry's head to the table with his hand. He thrust violently in and out, making Harry squirm and make incoherent moans as his release crept closer and closer. With a raspy gasp Harry came, his back arching and his whole body shaking violently.

Sirius moved through Harry's orgasm, gasping as he felt Harry's hot insides contract around him, before he gave in to the pleasure as well.

Harry was just a shivering lump on the table. His legs had given in and he was lying on the table with his full weight, only able to pant heavily as the waves of pleasure still floated over his body before slowly retreating.

Sirius pulled out and gathered Harry in his arms, carrying the limp figure to the bedroom. He so wasn't done yet.

* * *

... Reviews?


	14. Chapter 14

Applauds, please.. I'm officially here again! Yeah, sorry for the long wait, but I've been away from home (=computer) for the past three days so...

Thanks for the reviews! *bow* Sirius and Harry were glad to hear you liked the ice-cream bit! In fact, I've had a tough week, trying to keep them away from the fridge and said ice-cream. They somehow managed to escape from my cellar and break in ;D. I spanked my plot-bunny for it, it was supposed to keep an eye on them but.. oh well. My bunny paid for it. It was nearly black again when I finished this chapter...

Oh, there's this guy outside my window! He has a sign! What does it say? 'You'.... 'don't'... 'own'... 'Harry'... 'Potter'...

NOO!!!! Blasphemy! Pure blasphemy!! Of course I own them!! *throws a rotten water-melon at the guy*

...

Okay, after getting such a long nose from the blatant lying, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

AND!!! My everlasting gratitude to **smiley12cool** who beta-read this chap

* * *

Harry opened his eyes carefully the next morning. His whole body ached. He suppressed a moan as a small sting of pain hit him as he tried to move. Sirius was nowhere to be seen.

Harry was in the second bedroom. The one with the huge mirror. He had no idea what time it was, as there wasn't a clock in the room and the light coming from the window on the other side of the room didn't help much. After all, being the winter time and all, it was dark almost constantly, be it day or night. Harry blinked and slid to the edge of the bed in an attempt to get up. But his legs seemed to disagree and he ended up on the floor, clutching his hips.

_Damn that Siri! He nearly broke my hips! What is he, on his teens or something? A few months without and then he goes at it all night. Gee! I lost track at some point as to how many times I came!_

Harry moaned slightly and tried to straighten his back. He managed to crawl into a half-sitting position, not even _thinking_ about sitting properly. Harry glanced around the room and snorted softly when he saw his clothes nowhere in the vicinity. He slowly stood up, taking support of the bed and moved very carefully towards the wardrobe to find something to wear. As Harry was walking past the mirror-wall he happened to glance at himself.

Harry's eyes narrowed as he looked at his reflection. He had at least three hickeys on his neck and when he turned around he saw that they were tracing his spine as well. Harry moved his legs and could see biting-marks there as well.

_Talk about restraint, geez… _

Harry shook his head, smiling, before continuing his journey to the wardrobe.

Harry rummaged through the shelves and found trousers that didn't fall off his hips and a slightly too large t-shirt. He didn't even bother with the underwear.

As Harry opened the bedroom door and advanced to the hallway, he was greeted with the smell of something delicious being cooked. He slowly walked to the stairs and started to descend them with the utmost care, resting his hand heavily on the banister and clutching his ass, going one step at a time and wincing once in a while as he stepped a bit too roughly and it shot a sting of pain to his already aching back.

Harry made it to the kitchen after a lot of silent cursing as his voice seemed to have taken a small holiday and saw that Sirius was by the stove, making food. The floor creaked a bit as Harry stepped inside, making Sirius turn his head towards Harry.

Sirius took in Harry's appearance and smirked widely.

"'lo, Sunny boy! And did you sleep well? My, you must've been really exhausted. It's nearly three in the afternoon!"

Harry shot an extremely dark glare towards Sirius who was smiling angelically. He snorted and walked slowly towards Sirius and grimaced when he nearly missed a step, his ass reminding him of its presence again.

_Man, I want coffee…_

Sirius wrapped his hands around Harry's waist and gave him a small peck to the neck. "You want something to eat?"

Harry raised his eyes to Sirius' and quirked an eyebrow. "You mean you can _cook_?" His voice was just a faint sputter and it made Sirius' smirk widen even more.

"But my dear Harry! What on Earth have you been doing? You've lost your voice almost completely! Tut, tut." Sirius' voice was mock-scolding.

Harry's still slightly swollen lips twitched in amusement. "Answer my question, Siri. And could you make me some coffee? Please?"

"Yes, I can indeed cook. Can't see why that surprises you so. And you'll have to persuade me for the coffee."

Harry snorted and grabbed Sirius' head, giving him a kiss full on the lips.

"My, so passionate as soon as you wake up," Sirius teased as Harry let him go. But he was licking his lips. "Am I to understand that you didn't get enough last night, hmm?"

Harry shot Sirius another glare. "Just make me the coffee, okay. And stay away from my ass."

"Ahh, rejection," Sirius murmured with a smile as he let go of Harry and started to make the coffee.

"Maybe I should fuck _you_ all night so that you can hardly stand the next day and then come suggesting something like that. See how _you'd _react." Harry's voice was barely audible but it held a slightly amused edge to it.

Sirius glanced at Harry, his eyes sweeping from head to toes. "You're too tiny," he declared triumphantly. "Be a bottom and enjoy it, Harrykins."

Harry snorted again. "I would if certain someone wouldn't try to break my hips once in a while. Now, the coffee?"

*_*_*

The next two days passed in a blur with Harry and Sirius being overly mushy and generally all over each other every waking second.

Then, suddenly, it was the night before Christmas Eve. Sirius and Harry were once again in front of the fireplace, both lying on the fur. Harry chuckled slightly as Sirius tried to make him eat more strawberries.

"Honestly, Siri! Where did you get these? It's the middle of the winter after all!"

Sirius smiled smugly. "I have my ways."

Harry was lying on his back and Sirius was on his side next to him, leaning his head on his hand. He had the strawberry between his fingers and he was stroking Harry's lower lip with it gently. Sirius was supporting puppy-eyes once again and with a sigh and a roll of his eyes Harry opened his mouth, eating the strawberry in small bits, not forgetting to lick Sirius' fingers along the way.

Sirius smiled and leaned in, licking the small trail of strawberry-juice from the side of Harry's mouth.

"About this house, by the way," Harry said suddenly, enjoying the feeling of Sirius' lips.

"What about it?" Sirius raised his head briefly before starting to lick Harry's neck.

"Is it yours?"

"I think so, yeah." Harry squirmed slightly when Sirius' breath tickled his skin.

"You think so?" Harry raised an eyebrow, stroking Sirius' hair.

"This belonged to my uncle. You know, the one who didn't resent me because I was a Gryffindor. When he died, I inherited everything. I think this house was a part of the inheritance as well. Well, it let me in, so I think that it's rightfully mine."

"Was your uncle vain or something? I mean, all the mirrors…"

Sirius smiled slyly against the side of Harry's neck before biting the soft flesh tenderly. "I'm allowed to decorate, right, Sunny boy?"

"You mean you put all those there?" Harry lifted Sirius head and looked at him with wide eyes. "On purpose?!"

"I highly doubt it can be done as an accident, Harrykins," Sirius said and leaned his head to his hand again, smirking widely.

"So… You…" Harry shook his head and sighed resignedly. "You're a pervert, did you know that?"

Now it was Sirius' turn to raise his eyebrow. "You didn't seem to be overly sensitive about the mirror-wall the other night, if I remember correctly."

Harry blushed brightly and turned his head away, remembering that particular night _vividly._ He'd indeed been highly _unaffected_ by the mirror.

_It was fun though… To look at yourself when- NO! Not thinking!!_

Sirius chuckled lightly when he saw Harry blushing and grabbed his chin, turning Harry's face back and making him look Sirius in the eye.

"We could always do a repetition if you don't seem to remember," Sirius suggested, licking his lips slowly before his tongue disappeared to his mouth again.

"I can consider it," Harry said and grabbed Sirius' neck, pulling him down for a kiss.

Sirius' hand immediately traveled to Harry's hip as the other one was in Harry's hair, tilting his head back. As Sirius rose to catch his breath, he happened to look out of the window.

"It's snowing," Sirius muttered softly, still looking out.

Harry craned his neck to look out and a smile rose to his lips. He pushed Sirius off and ran to the window, leaning to the window frame. Sirius made a little disgruntled noise at being pushed over before he joined Harry, snaking his arms around the teen and putting his chin on top of Harry's head.

"Wow," was the only thing that Harry said. He blinked at the beauty of the scenery before them. The land that was already packed with snow was getting yet another layer of it as the snow danced from the skies slowly and was illuminated by the moon shining in the sky.

Sirius took a step back and tucked at Harry's sleeve playfully. "Come on."

Harry turned away from the window. "Where to?"

"We're going outside, of course!"

Sirius all but dragged Harry to the front door. They put on their shoes and coats in a hurry before slamming the front-door open and running into the snowy night.

The next hour or so was spent trying to bury each other in the snow or see how as many snowballs they could get to hit their target as possible. Neither of them saw the dark figure that came to stand just outside the wards and smile widely.

Sirius had just managed to trip Harry head on to the snow to lie on his stomach, Sirius sitting on top of him and stuffing as much snow down Harry's collar as possible, when he felt his bracelet heat up.

Sirius muttered the activation word and Remus' amused voice could be heard.

"As soon as you're once again done with suffocating Harry, Paddy, I'd appreciate it if you could let me in."

Sirius groaned disappointedly and stood up, walking to where Remus was standing and stopped right before him. "Identification, if you may," he said.

Remus nodded with a wide smirk. "I'm Remus Lupin, also known as Moony because I'm a werewolf, my Patronus is the form of a cat and I have the most annoying friend in the world that goes by the names Sirius, Padfoot or Snuffles."

"Oy! I'm not annoying!" Sirius pouted as he stretched his hand and keyed Remus to the wards.

"Sure you're not," Remus said as he walked towards the house. He approached Harry who was still sitting in the snow. "You okay there?"

Harry let out a devilish smirk. "I will be," he said and then without warning jumped towards Sirius, knocking them both over so that Harry was sitting on Sirius' stomach. He let out a triumphant yell before grabbing the hem of Sirius' shirt and stuffing snow under it. Sirius yelped and tried to push Harry off him but to no avail.

"Payback is a bitch, eh, Sirry-Birry?" Harry stated and got up, jumping to get the snow fall from his clothes.

Sirius just snorted in response. He got up from the ground and they walked inside. Sirius waved his wand so that his and Harry's clothes dried as they took their shoes off and walked to the kitchen.

"You want hot cocoa, Remus?" Harry asked as he walked to the stove.

"Yeah, thanks," Remus answered, sitting down beside the table. "I see that you're doing fine."

"Yup."

They were quiet until Harry came with the cocoas and sat down as well.

"So, Moony. How's Grimmauld Place?"

Remus grimaced a bit. "Honestly, I can't stand it anymore. It seems that Ron and Hermione can't decide if they love or hate each other. They're bickering about something to each other all the time and it's driving the rest of us up the walls. Fred and George have come up with some interesting pranks and not a day goes by without someone getting their share of it."

"You've not fallen for their pranks, eh, Moony? You'll betray your reputation as a Marauder if you have." Sirius looked mock-worried.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "I didn't live with three other pranksters seven years for nothing, Paddy. I have fairly good intuition."

Sirius sneered and Harry frowned. "Three? So you mean that it was just the four of you in the dorm at Hogwarts?"

Remus smiled and inclined his head. "At first there were two more but for some reason they wanted to change a dorm. There already were two dorms for boys on our year but still…"

"Never understood why they left," Sirius said, looking mock-thoughtful.

"Sure you didn't," Harry said, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Remus gulped the rest of his cocoa and let out a small content sigh. "So, Harry. Your presents."

Remus pulled a tiny bag from his pocket and enlarged it, making Harry's jaw hit the table. It looked like there were tons of presents in it.

"Bu- but I don't have anything for anyone," Harry muttered softly, looking down to his cup.

Sirius placed his hand on Harry's shoulder, completely aware of Remus' presence. "You're here, Harry. That's enough for all of us, I'm sure."

Harry blinked and Remus stood up, placing a hand on Harry's other shoulder. "Sirius is right Harry. Don't feel bad about it, okay?"

Harry nodded slightly, still staring at his cocoa.

Remus sighed heavily.

"You want some encouragement there, Moony?" Sirius asked with knowing grin.

"What 'encouragement' might you be talking about?"

Sirius' grin widened and after he'd squeezed Harry's shoulder gently he rose from his chair, going to one of the cabinets. Harry turned around and saw that Sirius pulled out a bottle of Firewhiskey.

Remus raised an eyebrow again and looked at Sirius with a highly suspicious glare.

"And what might that be doing there, Paddy?"

"What do you mean?" Sirius looked completely saint-like.

"You do realize that you have a minor here?"

"Where?"

Remus rolled his eyes and pointed at Harry.

"But Sunny boy wouldn't go drinking adults' drinks, now would he?" Sirius asked and gave Harry an exaggerated wink.

"I hope not and no, I won't take your 'encouragement', thank you very much."

Sirius shrugged. "Your funeral."

Remus snorted and walked to the door. Sirius placed the bottle to the counter as he and Harry followed the werewolf.

"Thanks," Harry said as Remus was pulling his coat on.

Remus gave Harry a small smile. "No need, Harry. No need. Besides, I was able to escape for a while so it's really okay."

Harry smiled ruefully.

Remus turned to look at Sirius when he was half way out of the door. "How long will you two stay here, by the way?"

Sirius turned to look at Harry. "When does the term start?"

Harry tilted his head and frowned, counting. "About two weeks from now, if I remember correctly."

Sirius turned back towards Remus. "Then we'll stay for another week or so."

Remus nodded as well before stepping fully outside and closing the door behind him.

Harry turned to look at Sirius. "I think I'll go and take a bath. I still feel a bit cold, you know…"

Sirius grinned and slipped his hand to Harry's hair, pulling him closer. Just as their lips were about to touch, he let go.

"Have fun," Sirius said with a smirk and went to the kitchen.

Harry blinked before walking slowly to the second floor and into the bathroom.

_I thought he'd come with me… Oh well._

Harry turned on the water and stripped from his clothes slowly, stepping to the warm water when the tub was full. He sighed contently as he felt his limbs regaining sense again.

_Luckily Remus didn't stay that long_.

Harry closed his eyes and let his mind wander. He didn't hear the door opening silently as Sirius slipped inside, smiling when he saw Harry.

Harry cracked an eye open when he heard a piece of clothing hit the tiles, smiling when Sirius slipped in with him and sat to the other end of the bathtub.

It was the sizes of a small pool actually, the tub. It reminded Harry of the one in the Prefect's bathroom. There was a dozen different taps that provided different bubbles, different color for the water… Almost anything.

Sirius sighed contently as warmth crept to his legs and fingers again. He leant his head to the wall and looked at Harry. The teen had one arm resting at the edge of the tub and he was leaning his head to his hand, a dreamy look on his eyes.

Sirius smirked and stretched out his leg, poking Harry.

Harry blinked lazily, returning to reality before looking at Sirius. Seeing that the other man was smiling faintly, Harry felt a small smile creeping to his own face as well.

"What?" Harry asked, his voice sounding slightly languid.

Sirius just grinned and pulled Harry to sit on his lap.

Harry chuckled and leaned closer so that his forehead was resting against Sirius'. Sirius wrapped his hands around Harry's waist and they stayed like that for a while, enjoying the warmth, before Sirius lifted his hand and pressed Harry's lips against his own for a light kiss. They exchanged small pecks while Sirius' hand caressed Harry's spine, going further and further down with each movement until his fingers reached Harry's ass.

Harry made a small sound as Sirius' fingers tickled his entrance before they rose again, tracing the line of Harry's spine to his neck before sinking back to Harry's ass again. Harry moved his hips when Sirius' fingers slipped to Harry's ass again, offering himself. Sirius grinned and turned Harry around so that his back was against Sirius' chest. Sirius put his knees between Harry's legs and spread them, making the teen gasp as he kissed Harry's neck, using his teeth as well. Sirius caressed Harry's stomach with his fingertips, not going lower from his navel. He bent Harry's head with his other hand, locking Harry's arm to his side in the process. Sirius nibbled the spot where Harry's neck joined the shoulder and continued his teasing, smirking against Harry's skin as the teen squirmed.

Suddenly, Sirius felt Harry's hand grab his own on Harry's stomach and push it all the way down until it reached Harry's groin. Sirius licked his way up to Harry's ear and nibbled it at the same time as he grabbed Harry's erection and gave it a long stroke. Harry yelped and thrust his hips forward, making the water wave.

Sirius continued stroking Harry while his other hand made its way to Harry's ass, his fingers circling there teasingly. Harry trembled and bit his lip, not wanting to yell. But his decision to stay quiet was scattered efficiently as Sirius slid two fingers inside him and some hot water slipped in as well, making Harry twitch and moan loudly, the noise magnified by the tiles in the room.

Harry gripped the edge of the bathtub with his hand while the other one went to Sirius' hip. He moved his hand until it reached Sirius' cock and gave it a faint caress. This was rewarded with a long thrust of Sirius' fingers that hit straight-on to Harry's prostate, making him gasp loudly as a violent shiver went through his body when Sirius kept massaging the spot.

"S-stop, Siri. I- " Harry gasped. "I'm gonna…" He quivered harshly and moaned when Sirius' teeth pressed against his neck again, biting almost painfully.

"Then come." It was just a warm breath against Harry's ear. "Come for me." Sirius sped up his pace even more and Harry came with a silent shriek, arching his back, Sirius' name pouring from his lips.

Sirius allowed Harry no time to recover as he moved them so that both of Harry's hands were resting on the edge of the tub and Sirius was on his knees behind him, holding him by the waist. Sirius slipped inside slowly, inching his way further and further in.

Harry gasped and twitched as Sirius' cock brushed over his hyper-sensitive prostate. He moaned hoarsely as Sirius pulled out, making the water around them swirl and caress Harry's burning skin. Sirius started to fuck Harry with a pace that was far from gentle and Harry could do naught but bend his back and groan. He laid his head to rest atop his hands and felt Sirius' arm snake around his hips to stroke him while his other hand came on top of Harry's, entwining their fingers.

Harry squeezed Sirius fingers that were amongst his own and panted heavily, feeling his release creeping closer. Harry thrust his ass back towards Sirius more and got him to penetrate him even deeper. With a last hoarse moan Harry slumped against the edge of the tub, taking Sirius down with him.

As they were both panting heavily, leaning to the side of the bathtub, they heard a small gasp from the door.

Harry looked up sharply and saw one Remus Lupin standing on the doorway, his mouth hanging slightly open and an inscrutable look etched on his face. He was blinking rapidly and seemed to be at a loss of words. Harry rose a bit from his position and Remus shook his head, muttering something about kitchen before he slammed the door shut.

* * *

There!

Oh dear... Poor guys! Such hard luck! *cough* of course it wasn't me who thought about this *cough*

Review to get Moony calm down!

We're counting on you!


	15. Chapter 15

Here it is! I managed to calm Moony a bit by showing him some of the reviews, but he still looked like he was on the edge. Poor bloke. (nyaah, yeah, right .b)

Thanks again for the reviews!

I'll cut the long story short and will just express my everlasting bitterness concerning the pitiful fact that I don't own these lovely *cough* horny as hell *cough* gents.

Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Sirius raised his head as well when he heard the door closing and was supporting an interesting expression at the moment. They were both still slightly panting and rose carefully from the water.

"What d'you think he'll say?" Harry asked worriedly as he was drying his body.

Sirius came to stand behind him and took the towel from Harry, continuing to dry Harry. "He'll probably kill me," he said as he rubbed Harry's shoulders through the thick fabric.

Harry sighed and Sirius pulled him in his arms, hugging the teen tightly from behind. Harry bent his head and rested it on Sirius' shoulder, closing his eyes.

"It was good knowing you, then," Harry said, trying to sound humorous and failing completely.

Sirius turned Harry around and kissed him gently. "The bedroom and after that to the kitchen, okay? Let's not make Remus and the charming little vein in his forehead wait too long."

"But-"

"I don't care if he doesn't approve, Harry," Sirius said quietly, cupping the teens cheeks with his hands. "He's my best friend but I love you, okay? Nothing he says changes that."

Harry had to blink a long while before Sirius' words sank in. "You… You love me?" His voice was once again just a raw whisper. "I've never heard anyone say that to me." He added even more quiet.

Sirius smiled gently. "Well, I'm saying it to you now, I love you, Sunny boy. And they can all curse me to the deepest circle of Hell if they want to for that."

Harry closed his eyes. He felt like he was floating a few inches above the ground. Despite the situation, he smiled as well. "I love you, too, Siri," Harry whispered and wrapped his arms around Sirius' neck, pulling him down for a kiss.

"Time for our doom, then," Sirius said as he pulled away and walked to the door, holding Harry's hand as they crossed the hall and went to put on some clean clothes before they headed downstairs.

*_*_*

Remus was pacing around the kitchen when Sirius and Harry entered. Sirius leaned to the table and pulled Harry to lean on his chest. Remus was opening and closing his mouth in front of them, incapable of speech.

Finally Remus spoke. "Please tell me it wasn't what I think it was!"

Sirius raised an eyebrow but his face went solemn the moment he saw the look on his best friend's face.

"Err… It was exactly what you thought it was?" Harry tilted his head and looked at Remus who closed his eyes and shook his head before going to the cabinets and pulling out the bottle of Firewhiskey.

"Why?" Remus whispered and opened the bottle. He turned to look at Sirius. "OF ALL THE INSANE THINGS YOU COULD THINK OF WHY IN THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU HAVE TO GO AND FUCK HARRY?!!!" Remus shouted from the bottom of his lungs and Harry blinked.

He'd never seen his ex-Professor this angry.

Sirius opened his mouth but Remus shook his head and waved him to be quiet, taking a sip from the bottle.

"No, shut the fuck up, Sirius. I don't want to hear you. I knew that Azkaban messed with your head but I never knew it was this bad. He's your Godson, for Merlin's sake!!"

Remus pointed at Sirius with the bottle. "You need to come to your senses, Sirius. Right this second. Has it occurred to you that you're breaking at least a dozen laws and a hell of a lot of moral rules?! Or were you too busy fucking Harry's brains out?!"

Sirius' grip around Harry tightened before his hands slid down and moved Harry to lean on the table as he man stood up and walked in front of Remus. He was at least two inches taller than the other man and was now taking full advantage of it.

"I don't care," Sirius said his voice low.

Remus sneered and looked at Sirius straight in the eye. "OF COURSE YOU DON'T! Since when have you cared about anything else than yourself??!! Just as long as you've got someone to suck you or willing to let you fuck them that's all you need, right? NO MATTER THAT PERSON MIGHT BE YOUR OWN FUCKING GODSON WHO YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LOOK AFTER!!!!" Remus inhaled deeply before he took another swig from the bottle. "I don't fucking believe you! Is there a part in your brain that thinks 'oh, I've been a good boy for a while. How about I go and seduce my OWN GODSON? Take away his innocence along with the rest of him. That might be fun!'"

Harry stood up properly went to stand next to Sirius. "It was me, Remus."

"What?" Remus turned to look at Harry with a frown. "What the hell 'it was me'?

"I was the one who did the seducing here, Remus. Sirius had nothing to do with it."

"OF COURSE HE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT!" Remus yelled. "BUT THAT'S NOT THE FUCKING POINT! You can't go around seducing your own Godfather, for fucks sake! Maybe being in Azkaban really messed with your head-"

"No. This started a lot earlier than that."

Remus closed his eyes and sighed, taking yet another supportive swig from the bottle as he leaned to the counter and hid his face in his hand. "Was the fucking Prophet right for once?" The surprise was audible in his voice.

"Not really."

"THEN WHAT-"

"It started on the night after the article's supposed 'date'."

Remus took support of the counter behind again him and looked at the two in front of him in a sort of awe. "FOR HALF A YEAR?!!!" Remus' voice was filled with disbelief.

"About, yeah," Sirius said, looking at his friend.

Remus shook his head a bit. He raised his hand to his face. "How could you…" It was just a whisper. "HE'S A FUCKING MINOR, SIRIUS! DO YOU WANT TO GET CARTED TO AZKABAN AGAIN?! And you wouldn't be able to escape this time!! You'd have one Molly Weasley making sure of that!"

A faint smile appeared to Sirius' face, although Harry saw nothing funny in the situation.

_What the hell is he doing smiling?! Remus is still about to blow up!!_

But apparently Sirius knew his friend a lot better than Harry.

"You wouldn't be there? To make sure I'll stay there this time?"

"I really think I should, Sirius. What would James and Lily think if they saw you?!! Knew what you're doing to their only son?!"

"James would kill me first and ask questions later and Lily would probably just try to slow him down, if she didn't get to me first."

"THEN WHAT THE HELL IS GOING THROUGH THAT MIND OF YOURS???!!! OR IS YOUR BRAIN JUST SO CORRUPTED THAT YOU DON'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO HARRY??!! "

"I'm happy."

This shut Remus up. For a long time. "You-" he swallowed. "You're happy?!"

"Yup."

"Then what about Harry, huh?"

"He seemed pretty content with it the last time I checked."

Sirius turned to look at Harry who was standing beside him and tilted his head. "Well, time for a confession, Sunny boy. Tell your about-to-freak-out Uncle Moony that you're happy and wouldn't change me for anything in the world." Sirius waved his finger in front of Harry's face, like hypnotizing him.

Harry smiled slightly and grabbed Sirius' hand, moving it so that Sirius' arm was around his waist. He turned to look at Remus, leaning his head to Sirius' shoulder and snaking his arm around Sirius' waist. "I'm happy, Remus," Harry said simply. "Sirius wouldn't do anything I don't want him to." Harry winked and a small blush crept to Remus' cheeks.

"I don't want to know. Honestly, I don't." Remus took yet another swig from the bottle and the silence in the room was deafening.

"So does this mean you won't turn me in for laying a finger on a minor then, Moony?" Sirius asked after a long and tense silence.

Remus turned to look at Sirius again. "I'd love to. Believe me when I say that would really love to."

"But you won't, right?" Harry pleaded.

Remus managed a strained smile. "No, Harry. I won't. But I'm seriously asking you to think this over."

"Done that already. We decided to wait a few years before we tell anyone. Until Harry's 17," Sirius said. "Plan failed."

Remus sighed a bit. "You two are wacky, did you know that? You'll never survive."

"We have so far," Harry said with a smirk.

Remus just shook his head.

"Anyways, why did you come back in the first place?" Sirius asked, now frowning a bit as well.

"I can't remember anymore," Remus said and placed the half-empty bottle to the counter. "Must be because of the shock. It's not everyday you think a relationship is fully platonic and walk in on a very non-platonic moment."

"Speaking of which, when did you walk in?" Harry asked.

Remus hawked and looked somewhere to the floor. "Near the end, I think. By the way, Harry," he said after getting over his sudden coughing attack. "Have you told Ron and Hermione?"

"About?"

"About you being gay. Not about that." Remus gestured towards Harry's and Sirius' half entwined bodies.

Harry shook his head. "No, not yet. I think I should, though… At some point…"

"I think you should," Remus said. "And I'll take my leave now."

"For real this time?" Sirius asked with a grin.

"For real. I won't set foot in a place where you two are alone without informing you half an hour in advance. That scene I witnessed will haunt me for the rest of my life." With a smirk Remus went to the front door once again, putting his shoes and jacket on. "I'll see you in a week, then."

*_*_*

The next day brought the Christmas Eve with it. Harry still couldn't believe that Remus hadn't cursed them both till next year but was nonetheless happy. Sirius was still sleeping and Harry enjoyed this rare opportunity to drool over his lovers sleeping face. Sirius always woke up late, sure, but Harry woke up even later.

Harry caressed Sirius' cheek with his fingers, careful not to wake him up. Sirius smiled a bit and Harry couldn't resist. He leaned closer and captured Sirius' lips in a feather-light kiss. As Harry's eyes were closed, he felt when Sirius' lips curled into a small smile before they opened up, allowing Harry to slip his tongue in.

Harry broke it off quickly and jumped out of the bed, pouncing up and down.

"What's got you so exited?" Sirius asked with a smile as he sat up on the bed. His hair was a delicious mess and Harry resisted the urge to jump back to the bed and mess it even more.

"Come on, Siri! It's Christmas! Get up!!"

Sirius sighed a bit and crawled out from between the warm blankets. "Your energy will kill you one day, did you know that, Sunny boy?"

They changed their clothes and went to eat 'breakfast'.

"Okay, out!" Sirius said once they were finished.

"Wha-at?"

"It's time to build a snowman, Jacky."

Sirius and Harry had a pleasant hour and a half as they took as their mission to build as big a snowman as they possibly could, magic allowed. It turned out to be a gigantic Padfoot standing on all fours and looking to the forest.

"Wow, it turned out quite well," Harry said as he craned his neck to see the head of the magnificent dog.

"It's because I'm a genius, of course," Sirius said and patted himself on the head.

"Of course you are. Now I want my presents."

Sirius chuckled and muttered something about impatient little brats as they walked inside.

They went to the bedroom to change into something dry and warm. When Harry was about to go to the hallway, Sirius stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"Whoa, hold your horses there, Harrykins! First things first!"

Harry quirked an eyebrow.

"Close your eyes," Sirius said.

Harry looked at Sirius for a while before he closed his eyes. "You'll never get laid again if you do something nasty," he announced.

Sirius laughed and then Harry felt a fabric falling to his eyes and being tied on the back of his head. Sirius' hands were around Harry and he led him gently down the stairs and to the living room.

"Sit," Sirius murmured to Harry's ear and Harry felt the soft fur under his hands and the warmth radiating to his side from the fireplace. Harry felt Sirius leaving his side but he could hear as the man walked around the room.

"Oy, Siri! Can I take this off already?"

"Nope. Don't be so impatient, Sunny boy."

Harry jumped a bit when he heard Sirius' voice right behind him.

Sirius kissed Harry's nape lightly and removed the tie from his eyes.

Harry blinked a bit so that his eyes became accustomed to the light and he gasped deeply when he saw the scene before him.

Sirius had found somewhere the most beautiful tree Harry'd ever seen. Its branches were white with fake-snow that was falling from the roof gracefully. All kind of decorations were hanging from it, making it look like a factory of Christmas supplies had blown up right next to it. There were living fairies gliding here and there around the tree, illuminating it with faint light.

Harry was still blinking as he crawled closer to the tree and touched the snow. It looked so real that Harry was sure his fingers would get wet as he touched it. But they stayed warm and dry, although when Harry pulled his fingers away there was a little layer of glitter on them. He turned to look at Sirius who was watching him, his head tilted a bit.

"Wow," was the only thing that came out of Harry's mouth.

"I'm glad you like it." Sirius smirked.

Harry chuckled faintly and flung himself to Sirius' lap, knocking him to the floor and lying on top of him with his full weight. "I love it," he said and kissed Sirius full on the mouth, burying his hands to Sirius' hair.

Harry bounced off Sirius once more and scurried to open his presents. He got tons of candy- definitely enough for him to get a permanent sugar-high- a few books from Hermione, a certain wax for his wand-holster from Ron, some pranking stuff from the twins and a jumper from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Harry was extremely surprised at that, as he'd thought that he'd have an icy silence from Mrs. Weasleys part. There was a small note added in which apologized once again.

As Harry had opened all of his gifts and was pretty much drowning on the wrapping-paper, he suddenly turned around to look at Sirius who hadn't moved an inch from where Harry'd left him. Well, he was on his side and leaning to his hand but otherwise he was still strictly in a horizontal position.

"There's nothing from you here," Harry said, sounding a bit accusing.

Sirius' smirk widened and he beckoned to Harry.

Harry crawled next to Sirius over the wall of wrapping-paper and slumped next to him. "Well?"

Sirius chuckled and reached for his wand, summoning a small package from the corner of the room, turning to lie on his back and held the box so that Harry had to crawl across Sirius' stomach to reach it. Harry stayed lying half on top of Sirius as he rose to his elbows, unwrapping the present.

Sirius was caressing Harry's lower back faintly and held his other arm under his head as a cushion as he watched the look on Harry's face.

Harry opened the box slowly and at first he didn't see anything but black material. He pulled it out and noticed that it was silk. Or so it felt like, at least. It slipped over Harry's fingers like it was made of air and only after Harry lowered his gaze back to the box he realized that the fabric had been a cover for something.

Harry fingered the item for a while before lifting it out and his jaw slackened. In the flickering light of the fire, Harry saw the most beautiful bracelet he'd never laid his eyes on. It was made of small black pearls along with smoky gray ones. They were in complete harmony and between one black and one gray pearl there was a small appendage erecting from the bracelet. The pearls here were completely black and it ended in a perfectly shaped cross.

Harry just gaped at it for a long time before he realized that there was something else in the box as well. He reached inside and fingered something that felt like fur. He lifted them into the light and his eyes widened a bit.

Harry turned so that he was lying fully on top of Sirius and leaned to his hand, swirling his other 'present' in his fingers. Sirius had the most angelic smile on his face as he looked back at Harry.

"What," Harry asked, trying to keep himself from laughing, "Is the meaning of this, Sirius?"

"What do you mean 'what's the meaning of this'?" Sirius was smirking widely.

"Giving something like this-" Harry tapped Sirius' nose with the handcuffs, "-as a present can be judged as highly suggestive, Sirry-Birry."

"Ah, but I'm never suggestive, Sunny boy. See your other present!"

"Already did," Harry said and smiled widely. "It's beautiful."

Sirius licked his lips a bit and rose to a sitting position, sliding Harry to sit next to him. "Hand."

"What?" Harry blinked a bit.

_This blinking is gonna become a dyskinesia for me soon…_

"Gimme your hand. And you can keep the handcuffs for now." Sirius winked.

Harry giggled and stretched out his hand. Sirius grabbed the bracelet and tied it around Harry's wrist where it swung a bit before settling. Sirius grabbed Harry's hand and kissed his knuckles softly.

"I can't help it, y'know…" Harry said, not looking at Sirius.

"Can't help what?" Sirius lifted his gaze to Harry's face and saw that the teen was biting his lip.

"Feeling sorry. I got tons of presents and I don't have anything for anyone. I'm a bit embarrassed."

Sirius squeezed Harry's hand and pulled him closer. "No need to be, Harry. I told you that already."

"But you got me this." Harry jerked his hand a bit, making the bracelet shine in the light. "And I don't have anything I could give you in return."

"You don't have to." Sirius gave Harry a soft peck on the lips.

"But I want to."

Sirius kissed Harry again and whispered between the kisses. "There's one thing you could always give me, you know. If you want …"

"What?"

Suddenly Harry found himself lying on the floor and Sirius was on top of him, sucking his neck. "Your body."

Harry turned his head to look at Sirius. "What?"

"If it really bothers you so much then give me what I love," Sirius said.

"Which is?"

Sirius grinned and kissed Harry. "You."

"Thought you said you wanted my body just a second ago."

"It's a nice bonus," Sirius said and nibbled Harry's ear.

Harry chuckled a bit. "What exactly do you want from me, then?"

Sirius chuckled as well. He rose to stand on all fours, holding Harry's wrists and pressing them to the floor while he was straddling Harry's waist.

"Complete submission, if you may."

Harry bit his lip. Luckily Sirius wasn't sitting on top of him. If he had he'd definitely felt the reaction Harry's groin had to his words. "How complete are we talking here?" He tilted his head.

A sly grin crept to Sirius' face. "Complete as in _complete_. I can do whatever I want with you and to you. You can decline if you really don't want it but otherwise I won't listen to your 'no's and 'don't's."

"For how long?" Harry managed to keep his voice even but his below was starting to act less and less civil by the second.

"Two days." Sirius said and got off Harry. He sat cross-legged near Harry's feet and watched the teen, waiting for his answer.

Harry rose to his elbows and looked at Sirius. "Okay," he said after brief silence.

A smirk appeared on Sirius face and he shifted so that he was sitting on his knees. He moved towards Harry and bit his neck.

Harry bent his head to allow Sirius to have more space and sighed when he felt Sirius' hand on his groin, rubbing Harry's growing hard-on through his pants.

Suddenly Sirius pulled away. "Do it yourself."

"What?"

Sirius licked his lips and he leaned closer again. "You heard me," he murmured to Harry's ear. "Do it yourself." Sirius licked Harry's ear before pulling away again. "Clothes off," ge said. The fire was flickering in his eyes, making them glint as he looked at Harry.

Harry rose to a sitting position and took his shirt off after a brief hesitation. He placed it somewhere near him and took his socks off next, all the while aware of the burning look of Sirius' eyes, watching his every move. Harry made an attempt to take his bracelet off from his right wrist as well.

"Leave it," Sirius said.

Harry glanced at him before he reached for the button in his jeans. He felt a blush creeping to his face and looked away from Sirius as he opened the button and placed his fingers to the zipper, biting his lip a bit in the progress.

"Look at me." It was an order.

Harry met Sirius' gaze and inched the zipper down.

Sirius smirked a bit. "Make it feel a bit too, yeah?"

Harry bit his lip a bit more and swallowed as he pressed with his fingers, making the movement of the zipper feel in his erection. When his pants were open, Harry slipped his thumbs under the waistband of his boxers and started to pull them down, along with his jeans, leaning back to his elbows a bit.

"Slower."

Sirius held Harry's gaze firmly as the teen licked his lips and inched his pants down. Harry tilted his head a bit when the pants slid past his ass and he felt the fur under him.

The pants slipped away somewhere and Harry held his legs slightly together, his minds restraints prohibiting him to spread them. He could feel Sirius burning eyes sweeping over his body.

"Spread your legs, Harry."

Harry moved his legs a bit but didn't open them straight away. He broke his stare with Sirius and looked somewhere to the floor, the blush now evident on his face.

"It's embarrassing," Harry muttered. He heard Sirius move and come to sit next to Harry's legs, caressing his thighs.

Harry automatically opened them and let Sirius slide between his legs.

"But it makes you harder, right?" Sirius huskily, his lips sweeping Harry's ear. "To let me see you like that."

Harry turned his head away in the slightest and tried to suppress the shiver that was caused by Sirius' words and even more by the fact that Sirius' clothes were caressing Harry's heated skin.

"Tell you what," Sirius suddenly said and moved away from Harry to grab the silky fabric from the floor. "Put this on and you don't have to look at me. But it's only for now. You'll take it off real soon."

Harry nodded a bit and Sirius tied his eyes once again. Sirius pressed Harry to lie on the fur before he backed away again.

With his sight gone, Harry could feel the heat radiating from the fireplace and the soft fur under him even more clearly. From the darkness, he heard Sirius' soft words.

"Now spread your legs."

Harry bit his lips and slid his legs open in the slightest. He could feel the heat on his cheeks deepen even more.

"Touch yourself."

Even with the blindfold on Harry turned his head and put the back of his left hand over his eyes. He moaned a bit as his right hand made its way to his erection and started to stroke it slowly. Harry opened his legs a bit more as his back arched a little, making him sigh. He was panting slightly, feeling Sirius' gaze burning his skin even with the blindfold on.

The mixture of embarrassment and pleasure swirled inside Harry, making his head feel a bit dizzy. Even more so when he heard Sirius' voice again, this time telling him to use his fingers as well.

Harry took a shivering breath and moved his hand away from his eyes slowly before sucking his fingers, slicking them with saliva. He shifted a bit so that he could do it better and slipped a finger inside his ass. Harry moaned slightly and sped up his right hand. He bit his lip and sighed as he moved his fingers.

Harry's legs were now almost fully open and his head was bent back. He was breathing with short intakes of air and his chest was rising rapidly. Harry moaned in the slightest, feeling the heat gathering in his groan.

"Stop…"

Harry moaned loudly. He was inches away from coming and he stopped his hands reluctantly, clenching his teeth.

"Hands off."

Harry slid his hands to his sides and gripped the fur on his hand, panting heavily and feeling his release to slip away.

"Sit up."

Harry slowly rose to a sitting position. His mouth opened and he licked his lips, trying to suppress the moan.

Sirius moved closer again and took the blindfold off. Harry kept his eyes closed and Sirius grabbed his chin.

"Look at me…" Sirius said quietly.

Harry half-opened his eyes and looked at Sirius. His usually bright green eyes were now a lot darker and the fire was playing in them. Harry swallowed hard and tried to keep thinking straight even in the slightest as Sirius' grip forced him to look the man in the eye.

"On your knees." Sirius said and let go of Harry's chin.

Harry frowned a bit but shifted so that he was sitting on his knees, on top of his shins.

Sirius snickered a bit. "Spread your legs, Sunny boy. I'm so not done here…"

Harry leaned to his hand and spread his legs more willingly now. He bent his ankles so that he was more comfortable and wouldn't have to take support from anything.

"Continue," Sirius said.

Harry twitched and felt his blush deepening even more, if possible, now that he didn't have the ostensible cover of the blindfold. He slowly slipped his hand back to his cock while the other one went back to his ass. He slipped in two fingers and moaned as he started to stroke himself again. Harry couldn't help himself as he moved his hips as well, not able to suppress the low guttural voice that crept from his throat as he nearly hit his prostate. He bent his back, trying to get his fingers to reach even deeper as he continued to stroke his erection in a faster and faster pace.

Harry bent his head down and moaned as he felt his release creeping again from the bottom of his hips. He didn't hear Sirius moving and yelped as his hand was flung away from his cock and replaced with Sirius', gripping him painfully.

Harry gasped and his head snapped upwards as he grabbed Sirius' wrist with his now free hand. Sirius was on his knees right next to Harry with a lecherous smile on his face.

"Didn't say you could come, now did I?" Sirius voice was dark and lust was seeping through every syllable of his sentence.

Harry inhaled through gritted teeth. Sirius' voice wasn't helping him at all. "Siri… Hurts… Let go…"

Sirius' smile widened and he licked his lips. "Fingers out."

Harry let his hand fall to his side and gripped the fur again, still nearly bent in two.

Sirius lifted Harry up and pulled him closer, giving him a rough kiss. He shifted his hold on Harry's cock at the same time and gave it one long, strong stroke, making Harry come with a groan that was muffled by Sirius mouth before the man let go.

Harry sank to the floor, standing shakily on all fours. He was panting but didn't feel saturated at all by his release. Sirius came to stand behind Harry and licked his finger, making it slippery. Then he thrust it in Harry's ass without a warning and the teen yelped again.

"Stand up."

Harry stood up shakily and he had to take support of the mantelpiece.

"Walk." Sirius said and thrust with his finger, making Harry twitch as he took support of the furniture and gasped at nearly every step as Sirius' finger changed its angle every other second.

When they were halfway up the stairs Sirius' finger hit Harry's prostate and Harry's legs gave in. He crashed to the steps, gripping one of them in his hand as a shriek tore its way out of his throat. Harry was panting heavily as Sirius lifted him gently from the ground and supported him as they advanced towards the bedroom.

Sirius laid Harry to the bed to lie on his stomach and kissed him softly between the shoulder blades as he pulled his finger out slowly.

Harry heard the sound of a bottle opening and gasped as something cold dropped straight to his entrance. He felt Sirius' fingers circling around it, spreading the liquid. Suddenly Sirius slipped two fingers in and Harry twitched slightly, muffling his moan to the blankets and lifting his ass in the slightest.

Harry gasped as Sirius added a third finger, spreading him even more.

"Oh gods," Harry murmured and turned his head, still resting it on the bed, to look at Sirius.

Sirius grinned and raised an eyebrow as he slipped the fourth finger in, making Harry nearly meow and bend his back, clutching the sheets in his hands. Then Sirius pulled his fingers away and placed a wet kiss to Harry's lower back.

"Stay there." Harry's whole body shivered as Sirius' warm breath swept over his sensitive skin.

Sirius left Harry for a short while as he walked to the door and disappeared to the landing. Harry's eyes followed the man from the reflection in the mirror as he slipped out of the room and then his eyes came to look his own body. Harry was slightly shocked to see just how horny he looked like, lying on the bed with his ass up. His hair was sprawled all over the mattress and his eyes looked misty as they stared at him from the mirror.

Harry saw Sirius coming back and his eyes followed the man from the reflection as he came to stand behind Harry and the teen saw that Sirius was smirking widely. That lusty, dark smirk which Harry'd seen for the first time during the summer.

Sirius came to stand behind Harry's ass, grabbing his legs and spreading them. He bent his upper body and placed butterfly-light kisses along Harry's spine and between his shoulder blades, keeping Harry's squirming body at place as he rubbed his front against Harry's ass at the same time as he moved upper and upper.

Harry stretched out his hands and bent his back, thrusting his ass against Sirius' waist. He moaned when the fabric of Sirius' jeans brushed against his skin and thrust with his ass even more.

Sirius chuckled and straightened, moving back and watching Harry's face from the mirror. The young man's eyes followed Sirius' fingers as they plopped open the bottle again and poured the liquid to his fingers, some of it dropping to Harry's lower back as well. Harry rocked his body and gasped as the liquid hit his skin, momentarily taking his eyes off Sirius. During this split of a second, Sirius placed his fingers to Harry's entrance and slipped in three, hitting Harry's prostate with the first long thrust.

Harry's whole body arched and he let out a groan, thrusting with his ass even more as Sirius' fingers moved inside him, spreading, turning, twisting.

Sirius grabbed Harry's neck and yanked his upper body from the mattress so that the teen's head was nearly pressed against Sirius' chest and his back was arched in an angle that required Harry to bend from his lower back and offer his ass even more.

"Don't…" Harry's voice was shaky and he twitched when Sirius moved his fingers, brushing over Harry's prostate harshly, making him moan in pleasure and he slid his hand to Sirius' hair, gripping his head lightly.

"Move your hips…" Sirius said and licked Harry's neck, biting it.

"Can't…"

"Do it." It was just a small whisper.

A small whimper escaped Harry's lips as he thrust back against Sirius' moving hand, carefully at first but then more and more fiercely. Harry bent his back even more and squeezed his eyes shut as he felt his second release that night sneaking closer again.

"S-Siri… Haah... I'm gonna…"

Sirius stopped like he'd hit a wall and Harry squirmed. "Already?" he asked huskily. "And I just started here…"

Sirius moved his fingers maddeningly slow, bending them, and Harry moaned loudly. "Please Siri… Lemme come!"

Sirius slipped his hand from Harry's throat to his cock and caressed it lightly, making Harry squirm even more. "You want me to touch you?" he teased.

Harry just whimpered quietly.

"Answer me, Harry," Sirius said and licked Harry's neck again.

"To-haah-touch me, Siri. Please."

Sirius smiled against Harry's shoulder and gave him a quick stroke before letting go again. Harry made a little disgruntled noise that soon turned to a loud moan as Sirius moved his hand again, before stroking Harry feather-lightly and making him come.

Sirius let Harry fall gently to the mattress, keeping his waist up. He took his fingers out and chuckled silently as he saw the little puddle Harry was so promisingly turning into. Harry was gripping the sheets faintly in his hands and he panted, looking immensely cute.

Sirius smiled and bent his head, giving Harry's ass a long lick before turning Harry around and moving him so that his head was lying on the pillows. Harry's expression was a bit dazed and he looked at Sirius with even darker eyes than before. Sirius leaned closer, his body between Harry's legs.

"And how might we be feeling down there?"

Harry was panting and he swallowed hard. His head was feeling extremely clouded right now and he wasn't fully aware of what he was saying anymore. "Fuck me."

"What was that?" Sirius tilted his head a bit. Of course he'd heard Harry perfectly well and they both knew it.

"I'm telling you to fuck me, Sirius," Harry said and spread his legs a bit.

"My, you're getting pretty aggressive here. May I remind you that I have a full authority over you right now? So if I want, I can just bind you to the bed and leave you there."

Harry licked his lips. His moral restrains seemed to be only a distant memory. "But you won't, now will you?" he asked and rubbed Sirius' groin with his knee a bit.

"Stop," Sirius said.

Harry slid his leg to rest against the mattress again and Sirius smiled lecherously. "Hands against the headboard."

Harry lifted his hands and felt his cock twitch a bit. He looked at it and saw that he was indeed getting hard again.

"Getting hard just from that? You really are sensitive, Harry…"

Sirius grabbed Harry's wrists and reached for the handcuffs he'd apparently left to collect.

He put the cuffs around one of the poles and clicked them around Harry's wrists. If Harry moved even in the slightest they rattled against the metallic headboard.

Harry felt the warmth gather in his groin even more when Sirius reached for the blindfold. "Raise your head."

Sirius tied the fabric loosely to Harry's eyes; making his other senses perk up now that he was momentarily blinded. Once again.

Harry felt Sirius slip away from him and step to the floor. He heard the silent rustle that comes when taking clothes off. Harry swallowed again and shifted his legs a bit, all of a sudden oddly aware of the fact that he was completely naked and practically helpless, being tied to the bed. He felt Sirius' hand being placed on his thigh, preventing him to pull them together.

Sirius yanked Harry's legs completely open and the teen gasped at the sudden movement. "You have no idea what you look like, do you." Sirius said and licked Harry's inner thigh a bit, making him shiver. "Practically screaming 'horny' and 'fuck me', I can tell you."

Sirius traced his lips to Harry's nipple, still spreading his legs with his hands. He bit Harry's nipple and licked it hard, earning a small groan from the teen. Sirius switched to the other nipple, giving it the same treatment and this way ensuring Harry an even more aching hard-on in a matter of seconds.

Harry was squirming and wrenching his bindings, panting. "Just fuck me already, Sirius!"

"Tut, tut. Language, boy," Sirius said and slapped Harry's thigh with his hand.

Harry moaned and Sirius snickered devilishly. Harry could feel his warm breath sweeping over his body as Sirius traced his lips down Harry's stomach. Suddenly he lifted his head and backed away. Harry turned his head even though he couldn't see anything, and looked to the direction he knew Sirius was. He heard a bottle opening again and a slight hint of curiosity managed to enter his cloudy mind.

"Spread your legs."

Had Harry not been blindfolded, he'd have blinked, but now he just settled with blinking inwardly and bit his lips as he opened his legs in the slightest, feeling heat spreading all over his body. He heard Sirius chuckle.

"More obedient, now are we?"

Harry swallowed and sensed Sirius moving closer. He felt something cold drop to his thigh and gasped. It ran down his leg, making him twitch a bit as it felt icy against his burning skin. Harry felt another drop of it, now hitting closer to his groin, making him twitch even more.

Harry felt Sirius' hand spreading the liquid to his thigh, making it slippery. He shivered as Sirius poured some of the liquid to his other thigh, making it just as slippery as the other one. Sirius' hand traced down to Harry's ass and fingered his entrance.

Harry gasped as he felt the coldness suddenly dripping against his ass and twitched as Sirius' fingers circled his entrance, covering it with the liquid before slipping two fingers in.

Harry spread his legs even more as his back arched and his head bent back when Sirius' fingers hit his prostate. Sirius massaged the spot strongly, making Harry twitch and wrench his cuffs.

"Don't… Stop it…" Harry turned his head and clenched his fists as Sirius seemed to have no intention of stopping.

Harry's hard-on ached and he moaned as Sirius spread his legs even more. He was near to coming again when Sirius suddenly added a third finger and took Harry's aching member to his mouth, giving the tip a light suck.

Harry's whole body tensed and he yelled loudly as the pleasure overwhelmed him. He was left panting and twitching forcefully as Sirius' fingers were still inside him and he was sucking Harry's still hard cock.

"Quite insatiable, I see," Harry heard Sirius saying. He sounded so far away to Harry, but his hands were all but far away.

Sirius pulled his fingers out and lifted his head. Harry felt hands behind his thighs, bending them as Sirius slid on top of Harry, penetrating him deeply with the first thrust. Harry's mouth opened to form a complete 'O' and he bent his head back in a silent scream, arching his back and clenching his fists. Sirius leaned heavily on his hands and moved his hips harshly, making Harry whimper as he felt his cock getting hard again.

Sirius continued his fast pace for a long while, making Harry moan and squirm as it felt like Sirius reached deeper and deeper with every violent thrust. Sirius grabbed Harry's head and kissed him deeply, thrusting his tongue in and took dominance of Harry's mouth, like he had the dominance over Harry's whole body.

Harry's tongue played with Sirius' and their teeth clanged together every time Sirius thrust forward. Harry wrapped his legs around Sirius' waist, wanting him to thrust even deeper. The lack of friction, caused by the slicking liquid, made Harry gasp even more. Sirius slipped his hands to Harry's waist, lifting him even higher.

"Oh, Merlin," Harry murmured and shrieked as Sirius' cock hit his prostate, sending him over the edge.

Sirius gave him no time to recover from this as he pulled out and turned Harry around. Harry gripped the poles faintly, his arms in a difficult angle because of the cuffs, and dangled his head, panting heavily and feeling extremely lightheaded as Sirius moved behind him before thrusting back in again.

Harry moaned weakly and squinted his eyes shut, panting heavily under Sirius as the man gripped the headboard as well for leverage as he lifted Harry's ass even higher, making the thrusts even deeper until Harry's insides clenched and he came with a silent gasp, only staying up because Sirius clutched his waist in his hand before he moaned as well and Harry felt the warmth of him cum entering his ass before he slipped into unconsciousness, Sirius' warm breath sweeping past his ear.

* * *

*dries her blood covered napkin* Damn that was a lot of blood! I didn't even know that you could bleed that much through your nose! Geez. I mean, look at my poor plot-bunny! It's- yes, it's indeed nearly completely black. I wonder where Siri got the idea of the handcuffs...

Review and ask him!


	16. Chapter 16

G'day to ye all! Hope you're enjoying life and taking the most of it like some anonymous gents I happen to know!... Thanks so much to the people who reviewed the last chapter!

*pouts* I so wish I owned the boys. The books would be so much more interesting! (And restricted *whistles innocently*)

And! My lovely beta, **smiley12cool**, thanks, as always ;)

* * *

Harry woke up the next morning alone in the bed. All that was in there with him were pants and a small note. He made a move to go and see what the parchment said but his ass disagreed slightly. Harry moaned a bit and crawled toward the other side of the bed.

_It seems that the first thing I seem to be doing every morning is moan for one reason or another…_

Harry reached the note and read it.

'Only these.'

Harry turned his gaze to the pants lying on the bed. They were black but that was all Harry could make out. He stretched his hand to touch them and noticed the small red lines that circled his wrist. Harry turned to lie on his back, wincing a bit but realizing that Sirius wouldn't let him off the hook so easily. Harry raised his hands above his face and smiled as he saw the bracelet. It truly was beautiful.

Harry turned his gaze back to his skin and raised an eyebrow at seeing the small marks that the handcuffs had left on them despite the fur around them. Harry blushed, a bit embarrassed at how fast his inhibitions had been blown away. He rose to sit at the edge of the bed carefully and grabbed the pants, putting them on. They were a bit loose and hung from his hips.

Harry snorted. He could clearly see why Sirius had wanted him to wear them: extremely easy to take off and as Harry was supporting the 'no-underwear'- line here it could be instantly seen if he even thought about the word 'boner'.

Harry walked downstairs and into the kitchen. For some reason Sirius seemed to be in the kitchen every time Harry woke up.

Sirius didn't pay any attention to Harry. Of course he'd heard the creaking of the floor board, Harry was sure of that.

Harry went to stand behind Sirius, leaning against the counter. Sirius flung the dishcloth to his shoulder before turning around to face Harry.

"Hmm..," Sirius said cheerfully before walking in front of Harry. They had quite the passionate kiss which ended when Sirius pulled away, his hands resting on both sides of Harry's head.

"I see I made a good decision with the pants," Sirius said, lowering his hand and grabbing Harry's front that had formed a bulge by now.

"Mmmh…" Harry bit his lip a bit and looked at Sirius who was watching him with his head tilted in the slightest.

"You never stop being horny, eh, Sunny boy," Sirius said with a small grin and caressed Harry's cheek with his fingertips.

Harry licked his lips slowly. "Should I?"

"If it's because of me, then you don't."

Sirius rubbed Harry through the fabric and the teen winced, bending his head back. Sirius flipped them around so that Harry was leaning on him, their legs entwined as Sirius caressed Harry's bare back, making him shiver.

Sirius gave Harry a lingering kiss to the lips. "On your knees."

Harry's lips jerked and he was about to ask 'again?' when Sirius started to open his pants. With a glance Harry dropped down so that he was on Sirius' waist-level. He looked up at Sirius, waiting for the 'orders'.

"Lick."

Harry licked his lips again before slipping out his tongue and giving Sirius' growing hard-on a small lick.

Sirius inhaled sharply and Harry smiled a bit before licking the whole length of the shaft. Sirius grabbed Harry's hair gently and placed his other hand to the counter, bending his head back as he felt Harry's tongue gliding along his length. Harry moved a bit and grabbed the counter as well to balance himself as he wrapped his other hand around Sirius' cock, stroking it while he sucked the tip of it gently.

Harry looked up to Sirius and enjoyed the view. Sirius' head was bent back and he was panting slightly, eyes half-closed. Harry was just about to take Sirius in his mouth more deeply when he felt Sirius' other hand in his hair as well, stopping his head. Harry looked up again and his eyes met Sirius'. They looked at each other and Harry let Sirius slip from his mouth to take a shivering breath. Harry licked his lips and noticed that a small string of saliva was connecting his mouth to the tip of Sirius' cock. He licked it slowly and earned a low guttural noise from Sirius.

"Open you mouth," Sirius said and caressed Harry's lower lip with his thumb.

Harry parted his lips and licked Sirius' finger. Sirius chuckled a bit before he straightened, not leaning to the counter anymore.

Harry's eyes widened when he realized what Sirius was about to do. "Siri..."

Sirius grinned and moved his hips, slipping inside Harry's mouth.

Harry opened his mouth even more and enjoyed the feeling of Sirius' cock sliding against his tongue and palate. He moaned and gripped the counter a little harder as Sirius sped up his pace a bit. Harry felt his own hard-on rubbing against the fabric of his pants and was sure that there'd be a stain on them soon. He shifted his hand, intending to release his aching member from his pants.

"Don't."

Harry moaned and clenched his fist before lifting it to Sirius' waist and gripping the fabric of his pants. He tilted his head a bit and felt Sirius' hands in his hair, pulling, making Harry bend his head back and let Sirius slip out again.

"Liked it?"

Harry swallowed and licked his lips. His eyes were gleaming when he looked at Sirius. "Yeah…" It was just a sigh, barely audible.

Sirius grinned slyly and detached his hand from Harry's hair, reaching for something a little distance away in the counter. He slipped his hand in Harry's hair again and tied it up, taking it away from Harry's face. Sirius leaned back against the counter and gave a meaningful glance toward his groin.

"Finish what you started." Sirius said, smirking slightly and his face twisting in pleasure as Harry took his erection in his mouth, sucking hard.

Harry placed his hands to the edge of the counter and Sirius entwined their fingers slightly, preventing the teen from using his hands.

As Harry was moving slightly, the fabric of his pants rubbed his own hard-on more and more, making his ass clench as well.

Harry let Sirius' cock slip from his mouth again. "Siri please…"

Sirius just shook his head slowly and put his hand to Harry's head, pushing it back.

With a small groan Harry resumed his task at hand and tried to concentrate on it 110 %, so that he wouldn't have to think about his own situation. It paid off fairly quickly, as Harry felt Sirius twitch a bit. He half pulled away and felt Sirius' cum on his tongue. Some of it managed to get on his cheek and a bit of it dropped to his chest as well.

Harry hummed a bit, licking around his mouth to be sure to get every drop in his reach. He took his hand from the counter and wiped his cheek with his fingers, licking them and then he cleaned his chest, gripping the counter with his other hand.

Sirius crouched next to Harry and wiped the rest of the cum away with the dishcloth, holding Harry's head in his hand.

Harry licked his lips once again. "Please, Siri," he whispered, all but begging. His groin was slowly driving him insane.

Sirius chuckled. "Hands behind your back."

Harry complied and Sirius reached for the handcuffs in his pocket, making sure that when he put them on he touched Harry as much as possible. Harry moaned and leaned his head to Sirius' shoulder. The man stood up and pulled Harry with him, pushing the teen against the counter again.

"Sit."

Harry blinked a bit.

_How in the fucking hell am I supposed to hop to the counter with hands behind my back and a hard-on that's going to be the end of me soon?!!!_

Sirius chuckled again and lifted Harry to sit on top of the counter. "Stay there."

Sirius went to the other side of the kitchen and apparently started to make _food_.

Harry squirmed. His condition was getting highly hard, in more meanings than just one. He lifted his legs to the counter but put them back down fairly quickly, as that particular position just made his pants rub his erection even more. Harry tried lifting just one leg near his chest and sighed inwardly as that didn't feel too much in his groin.

The sitting settled for now, Harry looked at Sirius again. He was apparently cutting something highly juicy at the moment because he was licking his fingers every now and then.

Harry moaned a bit and fingered his cuffs in a hope he could take them off. His cock hadn't settled at all and was still achingly hard. Harry leaned his head against a nearby cupboard and half-closed his eyes.

"Siri…" It was just a whisper and Sirius glanced at Harry before he grinned and approached him.

Harry watched as Sirius walked closer and closed his eyes when Sirius was just a few inches away. He felt Sirius' body against his own and sighed a bit. Harry's eyes flung open as Sirius pulled away.

"Oy!"

Sirius just snickered and went back to the other side of the kitchen with the knife he'd just fetched.

"You can't just leave me like this!" Harry's voice was hoarse but it was evident that he was horny.

Sirius turned around. "And why not? I told you yesterday. If I want, I can just tie you up and command you to stay put. You couldn't complain. "

Harry bit his lips and closed his eyes, trying desperately to think something else than his pulsing appendage below. But closing his eyes wasn't really a good idea, as Harry came to notice, as some very interesting pictures floated to his mind, making his cock start to drip a bit and his ass react as well. Harry groaned and opened his eyes, looking at Sirius through a faint mist. He knew there was nothing he really could do if Sirius had truly decided to just let him sit there all day. The man's stubbornness was on par with that of a donkey's and some other time Harry might have admired it. But definitely not now.

Harry panted heavily and fingered the cuffs some more. Suddenly Sirius was standing in front of him and looking down at Harry.

"What're you doing?"

"Please, Siri… Take them off," Harry pleaded and jerked his hands in the slightest, making the cuffs jingle.

Sirius laughed softly. "Nope. You're looking quite nice from here."

Sirius caressed Harry's temple with his fingertips and smiled when the teen leaned heavily to his touch, parting his lips. "You know, you look good with your hair tied up… Should do it more often…"

Harry just moaned a bit. He didn't seem to be hearing a word Sirius was saying.

"How's you head?" Sirius asked, gripping Harry's chin and lifting it up.

Harry half-opened his eyes and looked bewildered for a while before Sirius words sank fully to his lust-clouded mind. "Wha-what d'you mean?" He frowned a bit.

"I mean, does your head hurt?"

Harry blinked and looked a bit more present now. "No. I've been completely fine… Why in the bloody hell are you asking me this now?!"

"Good then."

Sirius slipped his hand to Harry's neck and tilted his head up. The teen immediately parted his lips and his tongue glided over them, making Sirius chuckle as he lowered his head and took Harry's lower lip between his teeth, biting it.

Harry gasped as Sirius licked the lip slowly, making Harry squirm. Sirius let go of Harry's lip and started to place small kisses along Harry's jaw line and neck. Harry twitched and slipped his leg down from the counter, spreading his legs and bending his head, begging Sirius to do more.

Sirius blew warm air against Harry's neck, making him quiver when it tickled. Then Harry felt Sirius' hands under his ass, lifting him up. He wrapped his legs around Sirius' waist in instinct and felt Sirius other arm staying under his ass to keep him up while the other one was pressed against his back, keeping him steady. Harry leant his head against Sirius' shoulder again and groaned as Sirius walked, making Harry's front rub against the man's stomach.

Harry felt Sirius sit down and cracked an eye open, seeing that they were in the living room. He looked down to Sirius who tilted his head and pulled Harry's pants down. They wouldn't go any more down from just under Harry's hips, as he was straddling Sirius.

Sirius pulled Harry up so that his waist was on the same level as Sirius' face, making him bend his upper body to keep his balance. Harry looked as Sirius licked his lips a bit before opening his mouth and sucking the tip of Harry's erection.

Harry moaned and thrust with his hips, wanting Sirius to suck him more.

Sirius snickered and grabbed Harry's waist, keeping it still as he slowly moved his lips, taking Harry further and further in.

Harry bent his head and took a shivering breath as Sirius started to suck him as he was pulling away. Harry shuddered violently and made a low guttural sound, his eyes falling close again, and he could feel a small drop of salvia running from the side of his mouth to his chin. Sirius licked Harry's whole length again and as he sucked the tip, Harry felt his insides tighten before he came with a loud yell.

Sirius kept Harry in his half-standing position and licked his fingers, slicking them before snaking his hand from between Harry's legs to his ass, pressing one finger to Harry's entrance and slipping it in slowly, making the teen hiss and moan as he tried to spread his legs even more.

Sirius placed his other hand on Harry's thigh, pushing. Harry moved his leg so that it was between Sirius' and twitched when the movement changed the angle of the finger still inside him. With the help of Sirius' hands, Harry managed to snake out of the pants, left panting afterwards.

Sirius maneuvered Harry back to his half standing position and resumed his finger play, slipping two more digits in. Harry twitched, thrusting his ass back against Sirius' fingers with a small moan.

Harry heard a click and as he looked down, he saw Sirius opening his belt and pants. The man took his fingers out and put his hand to Harry's waist, pressing it down until Harry was nearly sitting on top of Sirius, his ass firmly pressed against the tip of his cock.

Harry jerked his hands a bit, reminding Sirius that he still had the cuffs on. Sirius smirked and put both of his hands to Harry's ass, spreading it and pressing him down.

Harry hummed quietly as he felt Sirius' hardness slowly piercing him. As Harry was down all the way, his head and back bent, a small whimper escaped from his lips. He moved his hips up in the slightest, supported by Sirius, before slipping back down. Harry's cuffs jingled a bit every time he moved and he turned his hands so that he could rest his thumbs against the short chain that connected them. His moans seemed to become a one never-ending sound as he moved his hips more and more.

Suddenly Sirius stopped him and rose a bit, circling Harry's body with his arms and then Harry's hands were free. For a while. Sirius brought Harry's hands in front of him and cuffed them again before leaning back against the sofa, taking Harry's tied hands with him. Harry had to bend from his hips and he moaned at what it felt like in his ass. Sirius placed Harry's hands above his head, to lean against the sofa's backrest as he returned his own hands to Harry's waist and lifted his leg to rest against the coffee table.

"Move," Sirius said.

Harry took a shivering breath and clutched the backrest in his hands as he moved his hips tentatively. Just that little movement made Harry gasp and squeeze his hands around the fabric even more.

Harry moved slowly, whimpering at every little movement he made, tilting his head and breathing in short, ragged intakes of air. He groaned loudly as he felt Sirius' fingers wrapping around his cock and stroking it according to the thrusts Harry made with his hips, making his climax creep closer yet again.

Harry leaned his head to Sirius shoulder and whimpered quietly as he shivered, slumping against Sirius chest as all the energy in his body seemed to pour out of him with his release.

Sirius lifted Harry up and slid the teen to the couch so that he was on his knees, leaning against the backrest.

"Stay there," Sirius said and bit Harry's lower back before getting up and putting his jeans on properly. Harry moaned and leant his head to his hands. He heard Sirius going to the kitchen again and returning after what seemed like an eternity to him. Harry'd had more than enough time to wonder what Sirius was going to do next, resulting to the fact that he was hard again. Sirius walked behind Harry and the teen could hear the sound of a zipper being opened.

Sirius' hand came to grip Harry's waist as he slipped inside Harry again without warning. Harry gasped and arched his back as Sirius started to move slowly in and out.

Suddenly Sirius stopped midway and Harry moaned, turning to look at Sirius as much as he could. "Why- why'd you stop?!"

Sirius grinned widely, and that grin was more than half lewd. "Move."

"Wha?" Harry swallowed and gripped the backrest.

Sirius gripped Harry's waist even more firmly and moved his hands so that Harry had to move his hips as well. Harry grunted silently and bent his head.

"You know how to move your hips, right?" Sirius leaned on top of Harry and bit his shoulder. "Move," Sirius said as he straightened again.

Harry swallowed and moved his hips in the slightest.

"Thaaat's right," Sirius said and caressed Harry's thigh. "More."

Harry leaned his head to his hands and closed his eyes as he moved his hips more while Sirius stayed still. He felt every move he made shooting a bolt of heat straight to his groin and it didn't take him long to moan in pleasure as Sirius' cock nearly hit his prostate. Harry shifted a bit and couldn't suppress a groan as he managed to get Sirius hit the sweet spot.

"You like it like this?" Sirius asked with a chuckle and stopped Harry's hips.

Harry was too out of breath to answer but Sirius didn't really need one. He started to move his hips again slowly and watched as Harry bent his back and moaned sweetly.

"Oh gods, more…" Harry muttered and thrust his ass back toward Sirius.

Sirius chuckled again and gave Harry few long, hard thrusts before pulling out. He turned Harry around and placed him against the backrest so that his lower back was leaning against it. Sirius slipped back inside and Harry threw his still cuffed hands around his neck, pulling him closer. This time it was Sirius' turn to grip the backrest as he buried himself inside Harry over and over again, listening to his moans.

Harry pulled Sirius' face down for a passionate kiss as he felt his release nearly knocking him unconscious. Sirius groaned softly as they slumped to the sofa in a mess of sweaty limbs, panting.

*_*_*

The next day, after a rough night on Harry's part, dragged with it another note from Sirius when Harry woke up.

'Why not be naked for today?

Put only the bracelet on.'

Harry swallowed as he looked at the small piece of parchment on his hand.

_Shit, I can't handle this._

Harry bit his lip as he crawled out of the bed, the bracelet swinging in his wrist gracefully as he walked toward the door. There was a tiny little problem with him being stark naked as Harry was quite sure Sirius wouldn't be having that much clothes on either. He got hard nearly every time he saw Sirius with little clothes, as he'd come to notice during the summer. And that was probably exactly what Sirius was after.

Harry opened the door to the hallway and felt a bit of heat gather in his groin from just walking around naked when he knew Sirius wasn't that far away. He placed his hand on the banister and started to descend the stairs slowly, his ass not forgetting to remind him about what exactly he'd let Sirius do to him last night.

_That kinky bastard. I'll never be able to look at strawberries again without getting hard. He's inventive, I'll give him that much._

Harry stopped in the middle of a step as he was nearly down. The corner of his mouth tugged when he saw the reaction his groin was giving him because of the images that floated around in his mind. Harry leaned on the banister and gave his hardening cock a slight caress, biting his lip. Sirius didn't know he was up yet… So he could stall just a bit…

With a hard swallow, Harry circled his hand around his cock and gave it a light stroke, falling to sit on the stairs as he leaned on the banister heavily and muffled his groans. His eyes slid close as he sank further into the realm of his fantasies, not hearing when Sirius came to stand a few stairs under him.

"Started on your own?" Sirius asked, his voice pure silk with a slightly raspy underline in it.

Harry's eyes snapped open, his hand falling from his cock as he stumbled up and nearly landed on Sirius' lap.

Sirius chuckled and lifted Harry up, carrying him to the living room before he lowered the teen to sit in front of the couch. He himself sat on the piece of furniture and looked at Harry with a slight smirk.

"Horny, eh?" Sirius asked, his husky voice only increasing Harry's lust. "Why don't you finish what you started?"

Harry's hand went back to his cock but Sirius snapped his fingers before he could continue, getting Harry's attention.

"Hold it," Sirius said. He waved his wand and Harry's wand-holster floated in front of the teen. "Take your wand."

Harry blinked but obeyed, fingering the piece of wood in his hand.

"Suck it and stroke yourself."

Harry's eyes widened and he looked at Sirius who in turn returned the look with dark eyes.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Sirius asked.

Harry swallowed and parted his lips, sliding his wand in his mouth as he continued to stroke himself. It felt quite unfamiliar at first but then Harry just closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his wand in his mouth. He flicked his tongue over it and a small moan welled up in his chest.

"Turn around, your back facing me, and bend over."

Harry opened his eyes to look at Sirius before he let go of himself, letting the wand slip from his mouth as he turned around and stood on his knees before bending his upper body, letting Sirius get a clear view on his ass as he leaned on his hands.

"Continue."

Harry twitched in the slightest and lowered himself to lean on his shoulders as his hand snaked back to his cock and the wand slipped back to his mouth. He moaned softly and tightened his grip around himself, his eyes fluttering shut. At the next command, his eyes shot open and he turned to look at Sirius as much as he could.

"Do I have to say it again?" Sirius asked and raised an eyebrow. "Fuck. Yourself. With. Your. Wand."

Harry swallowed hard and let the wand slip from his mouth. He'd thought about it… Not daring enough to do it… Harry moved his hand to his ass and rubbed the wand against it before placing the tip of it to his entrance and inching it in. He moaned and rested his forehead against the mat as the stiff piece of wood slid inside. It was thicker than his fingers and felt different as well. Harry gritted his teeth and moved his other hand around his cock, nearly coming just from that. He pulled the wand out and had to bend his back and angle the wand to get it hit his prostate.

Harry moaned and rocked his hips, having no choice but to let go of himself as he gripped the furry mat under him and moved his wand in his ass because otherwise he'd come right there and then.

"Stop," Sirius drawled. "Come over here."

Harry panted and swallowed hard, starting to inch the wand out.

"Thrust it in and leave it there," Sirius said and Harry inhaled sharply. He let his hand slip from his ass when the wand was in to the handle and rose to stand on all fours before slowly turning around.

"Stand up," Sirius said and sat properly on the couch. "And then walk here. Use your hips while you're at it."

Harry gritted his teeth as he straightened, taking a wobbly step toward the piece of furniture.

"Hips," Sirius called out and smirked when Harry twitched as he took the next step. Then Sirius stretched out his hand and yanked the teen next to him on the couch. Sirius pulled Harry's head to his stomach and caressed his back with his fingers. "Lift your legs up. On your knees."

Harry obeyed, taking support of Sirius' knee as he rose to stand practically on all fours, only difference being that his upper body was nearly lying on Sirius' lap and his ass was up in the air as he stood on his knees.

"Do I need to instruct you?" Sirius asked, his hand continuing its caressing as Harry opened the man's jeans and gave his cock a stroke. His ass clenched around the wand when he took Sirius in his mouth and started to suck him while Sirius' hand went to his hair and collected it up. Harry moaned when Sirius suddenly slid his hand to Harry's ass and started to move the wand in there, angling it so that it hit Harry's prostate.

"You like that?" Sirius breathed and thrust with the wand a bit harder, making Harry moan deep in his throat. "You like to be fucked with your own wand while you suck me, hmm?"

Harry moaned louder and dragged his lips along Sirius' length. "Gods, yes, more," he groaned, sting with his ass.

Sirius chuckled and thrust with the wand again, making Harry rock his body as he sucked the tip of Sirius' cock. "Make it slippery, yeah," he said and pressed Harry's head slightly, making him swallow it even deeper. "You're gonna ride me and the more slicker it is, the better for you, yeah?"

Harry gripped the fabric of Sirius' jeans and felt like his head was full of gathering mist. After discovering early last night that Harry got even more aroused by dirty talk, Sirius had used it all the way through their 'activities'. And damn the man if he didn't know how to do it properly.

Sirius lifted Harry's head and pulled the wand out, tossing it to the floor.

"Sit on top of me," Sirius ordered and Harry rose shakily, attempting to fling his leg over the other man's lap. "The other way," Sirius said and grabbed Harry's hand. "Turn your back to me."

Harry swallowed and turned around, feeling Sirius' hands on his hams, spreading his legs and lifting him up.

"Grab my cock and place it where it's supposed to be," Sirius said silkily to Harry's ear and bit the lobe, making the teen twitch as he did what he was told to and Sirius lowered Harry's body down until his entrance was prodded with the tip of Sirius' cock. Harry'd body arched as Sirius lowered him even more, penetrating him inch my inch.

"Oh gods, it feels so big," Harry moaned and bent his head back, panting.

Sirius chuckled. "Your entire body weight is centered on your ass right now, Harrykins. Feel good?"

Harry groaned and slid his hand to Sirius' hair. "D-deep…" he breathed. "Deeper."

Sirius licked the side of Harry's neck and lowered the teen even more until he was sitting on Sirius' lap. "Relax your back, Sunny boy," Sirius said and moved his hips, making Harry cry out loudly as his whole body twitched.

"God no," Harry moaned. "Too much… can't take this," Harry panted and fisted Sirius' hair, squinting his eyes shut as the man continued his movement, his cock reaching deep inside Harry and brushing past his prostate with every thrust.

"Tell me who you belong to…," Sirius said huskily, his voice starting to sound slightly strained as Harry's muscles tightened around him more and more. "Tell me whose name you call when you come…"

"Merlin, Sirius," Harry whimpered and his back arched in pleasure when Sirius hardened his thrusts before slipping Harry's legs down.

"Move your ass," Sirius said and placed his hands on Harry's waist, biting him between the shoulder-blades.

Harry swallowed and grabbed Sirius' knees, dangling his head as he moved his hips.

"Oh gods yes," Harry moaned and fastened his pace, the wet sound coming from between them only managing to build up his pleasure even more. "Sirius…," He sighed, gripping Sirius' knees. "Gods yes, Sirius, own me. Fuck my ass sore I don't care. Just take me."

Sirius chuckled again, low, before stopping Harry's hips and sliding them both to the floor. Harry stood shakily on all fours as Sirius moved fast behind him.

"Mine," Sirius whispered to Harry's ear as he leaned over him. "Never forget you're mine."

"Yes," Harry breathed, thrusting with his ass. "Gods yes, I'm yours." He moaned when Sirius hardened his thrusts even more, sending him leaning to his shoulders as his arms gave in and he slumped to the floor. Sirius' hand found its way to Harry's groin and gave his cock a short, violent thrust, making him come with a hoarse groan muffled by the mat. He gritted his teeth when Harry's insides clamped around him in a strangling hold and he moaned deep in his chest, letting his cum shoot deep into Harry's ass as he lowered himself on top of the half-conscious teen laying on the floor.

*_*_*

Harry was sitting in the dining room, eating breakfast. To say that his body hurt would've been the understatement of the year. It bloody _ached. _Not that Harry was truly sorry as to _why_. Nothing more fun than to fuck one's brains out at least three times a day. But doing it for ten days straight… Rather tiring.

Harry smiled and rocked with his chair. Sirius did it quite often and the habit had clung on Harry. He was just about to finish eating his apple when Sirius walked in. He'd been tidying the living room.

Sirius sat on a chair next to Harry and grabbed his hand, taking a bite from the apple.

"You know, we have to stop doing those kinds of thing when we get back," Harry said and munched the rest of the apple, licking his fingers.

"What kind of things?" Sirius asked and snatched Harry's fingers, licking them.

"Those," Harry said laughing and grabbed Sirius' head giving him a kiss before he stood up and went to the fridge.

"A pity," Sirius said, following Harry and wrapping his arms around the shorter man's waist. He gave Harry a peck to his nape and buried his head to Harry's hair, inhaling his scent.

Harry placed his hands on top of Sirius' and leaned against his chest. "Yep."

"But we can always sneak out of the house…"

"And be caught by the Daily Prophet's more-than-eager photographers? Don't think so."

"If we make a plan evil enough they won't notice a thing," Sirius said and bit Harry's neck gently, squeezing him tighter.

Harry turned around and wrapped his hands around Sirius's neck. "I'll leave that to you, oh master of all evil plans." Harry stated, winking.

Sirius chuckled and kissed Harry gently. "Oh yeah! What's your Animagus form, by the way?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Why the sudden interest?"

"I have my reasons. Now show me." Sirius stepped away from Harry and looked at him expectantly, his arms crossed.

A small smile curled Harry's lips before he suddenly looked like he was thinking something very hard. With a small pop, he turned to his Animagus form.

Sirius twitched and felt Padfoot raise its head inside him, telling him to shift as well, _pronto_.

Sirius crouched to the ground and Harry pad toward him, his claws rustling against the floor gently. Sirius stretched his hand and Harry sniffed it lightly. Sirius slid his hand to the silky dark gray fur and just gaped at the magnificent wolf sitting in front of him.

It was definitely at least the size of Padfoot with smoky-gray fur that turned to pitch-black on its paws and tail. Sirius stared into the intelligent, bright green eyes of the wolf and saw a hint of amusement in them.

Sirius grinned and turned into Padfoot. Harry immediately rose to stand as well and Sirius saw that he'd been right. Harry's wolf was about two inches smaller than Padfoot.

The wolf growled faintly and looked at Sirius challengingly. Padfoot barked a bit and strolled closer to the wolf, sniffing it. The wolf tried to claw him but Paddy moved away and returned the favor. It was a long 'conversation' about who's the boss. Finally Paddy cornered the wolf and it subsided to his leadership, crouching to the ground and revealing his neck. Padfoot backed away and sat on the floor, tilting his head.

The wolf bent its body so that its tail end was higher as it almost lay on its front legs, inviting Sirius to play. Padfoot barked and they spent an interesting half an hour as Paddy chased the wolf around the house and they both let out yelps of glee every now and then. The chase ended on the living room floor as Padfoot managed to bite the wolf's tail playfully and trip it so that it was laying on its back, Paddy on top of it.

The wolf tilted its head and showed its neck again, in a sign of submission. Paddy bit it gently and Harry turned back to human. Sirius soon followed and found that he was straddling Harry and still biting his neck. With a little chuckle he continued to suck the skin that was so conveniently exposed and heard Harry moan a bit.

"So? What was your reason?" Harry sounded like he was highly enjoying himself and Sirius licked the spot he'd just sucked.

"I have a suggestion that can either be deemed as insanely sappy or extremely cool, depending how you look at it."

"I see. And may I hear it?"

Sirius backed away from Harry and leaned to a nearby bookshelf. "A tattoo."

Harry blinked in surprise. "A tattoo?"

"Is there an echo in here?" Sirius asked but smiled. "Yes, a tattoo."

"What kind of a tattoo?"

"What would you like?"

"Something with Padfoot on it."

"See? I told you. Sappy. Anyways, I had something like this in mind…"

Sirius waved his wand and a bit of the fire from the fireplace floated between them, modifying it to a dog and a wolf, lying so that the wolf was half-under the dog and the dog had his head on top of the wolf's, protectively, while their tails were entwined.

The fire dissolved back to the fireplace and Harry blinked again. "It was beautiful."

"Liked it? Anyways, that was just a raw sketch, it can be changed if you didn't like-"

"Sirius, shut up," Harry said and crawled to sit in front of Sirius, placing his finger on the other man's lips, silencing him efficiently. "I loved it. When can I get it?"

Sirius smiled and raised his eyebrow a bit before licking Harry's finger. "When do you want it?"

"As soon as possible. Where do you think I should get it?"

"Well," Sirius said and stood up, offering Harry his hand. "We could go to the bedroom and have a look…"

*_*_*

Sirius sighed a bit as he slumped on top of Harry.

"You know, you're not supposed to sigh like that after what we just did," Harry muttered softly and stroked Sirius' hair with his fingers.

"Can't we just stay here until you're seventeen?" Sirius whined and entwined their fingers.

"Believe me Siri, I'd love to. But the others might get just a teensy-weensy bit suspicious. Besides I have to go to school as well. The insane bastard isn't going to just let me be, now that he's back." Harry tightened his grip on Sirius fingers and Sirius kissed the hand gently.

"Moony can handle the lot. I'm sure of that. He'll just have to open his mouth and they'll all fall to sleep. As for the insane bastard… This place can't be found unless I tell someone where it is."

Harry sighed as well and grabbed Sirius' head between his hands.

They kissed. Gently… Idly… Sirius pulled away and caressed Harry's face lightly.

"So? Where do you want your tattoo? That's why we came up here in the first place, after all."

"Really? And here I thought you just wanted to fuck my brains out. I'm offended." Harry smiled and rose to a sitting position, looking at his image in the wall-mirror.

Harry grinned as he saw his reflection. He had once again a hickey decorating his neck and another above his collarbone. "Tut, tut," he said and waved his finger in front of Sirius' face, looking mock-scolding. "Have you ever heard of restraint, Mr. Black?"

Sirius sat up as well, grinning slyly. "Speak for yourself, Mr. Potter," he said and turned his head a bit so that Harry could see the teeth marks on his shoulder.

"I'm privileged to bite you," Harry said and poked Sirius' side with his finger.

"And why's that?"

"Because of my pweetty face, of course." Harry smiled angelically.

Sirius snorted. "Sure. Well?"

Harry turned to look at his reflection again. "You do realize that I'll have to wear a turtleneck-shirt for the next two weeks or so, right? "

"Disillusionment-charms are pretty convenient, Sunny Boy," Sirius said and moved closer to Harry. "So? Where d'you want it?"

"Here," Harry said and grabbed Sirius' hand, placing it above his left hipbone.

"That so?"

"Aye," Harry said and winked.

"Hmm?" Sirius tilted his head and caressed Harry's waist with his fingers, making the teen smile faintly. "It'll hurt a bit more, then. Sure you don't want it somewhere else?" Sirius slid his hand up Harry's stomach and to his chest.

Harry shook his head. "Nope. Want it down there."

"That's a lecherous sentence you got there, Harrykins…" Sirius' lips curled in a grin.

"But true," Harry said and licked his lips. "In more than one meaning… But will it really hurt more, though?"

"The skin down here is really sensitive," Sirius said and resumed his caressing. "Especially yours." Sirius snickered and bit Harry's neck.

"You've got a tattoo between your shoulder blades," Harry stated. He turned half around and reached with his hand to caress the spot in Sirius' back where he knew was a Japanese character. "Didn't it hurt?"

"Not that much…" Sirius leaned backwards and pulled Harry on top of him.

"When do we have to leave?" Harry straddled Sirius, leaning to his forearms and playing with Sirius' hair.

"In two hours," Sirius said. "Why, got something in mind?"

Harry pecked Sirius on the lips and got off from the bed. "I think I'll go and take a shower…" With a wink Harry walked to the door and disappeared to the hallway.

Sirius raised an eyebrow before getting up and following Harry.

*_*_*

It was Harry's turn to sigh as he put his clothes on and checked that he hadn't forgotten anything. He grabbed the handcuffs from the nightstand and swirled them in his hand, looking idly to the floor. Sirius came to stand behind him and stopped Harry's hand, grabbing it and fingered the cuffs.

"Don't give me any ideas here, Harry," Sirius said and snickered, snaking his arm around Harry's waist.

Harry sighed again and leaned against Sirius' chest. The man smelled faintly of shampoo and beneath it Harry could smell the leathery scent that always seemed to float around Sirius.

Sirius pecked Harry's neck through the high collar. "Time to go, Sunny boy."

"What'll I do with these?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow at Harry's raised arm. "They're yours so do whatever you like."

Harry jerked his hand a bit so that the cuffs jingled. "I actually meant that where the hell I'm supposed to put them so that no-one finds them."

"In your trunk, of course."

Harry blinked a bit. "Sure, I'll put them in my trunk." Harry said sarcastically. "No-one will find them there. I'll just keep the damn thing locked and never open it again."

Sirius smirked widely. "You seem to forget that there are five different sections in that particular trunk. _And _a hidden space, thank you very much."

"A hidden space?"

"Y'mean you haven't found it? My, and here I thought you were clever. Just put them-" Sirius jerked his head toward the handcuffs, "-in your bag for now."

"But they'll definitely jingle!"

"Soft in the head or something? Put them inside a shirt."

Harry walked to his bag and pulled out one of his shirts before wrapping it around the handcuffs and putting the roll back in. They walked out of the room and to the front door.

"Not a quicky _quicky _in the living room?" Harry asked, tilting his head.

Sirius laughed and shook his head. "No chance, Sunny boy. I'm practicing huge restraint as it is without your suggestions."

"Really? But we've done it today for only – err- twice?"

"And it's not enough?" Sirius looked amused.

Harry licked his lips seductively. "Not _nearly_ enough, Sirry-Birry."

Sirius tilted his head in the slightest. "You asked for it. I think I'll make sure you sit glued to the kitchen in Grimmauld Place for a very long time."

Sirius took a step toward Harry and turned him around, pinning him face against the wall. He lifted the teen's wrists against the wall while the his other hand opened Harry's jeans and yanked them down. Sirius slicked his fingers and slipped them inside Harry, making him moan. He added a third finger and Harry bent his back, offering his ass even more.

Sirius slipped his fingers out, opened his jeans and grabbed Harry's waist, penetrating him with a hard thrust. Harry gasped and bent his head back. He stood on his toes and the wall rubbed his own erection with every thrust Sirius made, making him come really quickly. Sirius chuckled a bit before tightening his grip on Harry and muffling his groan to the teens neck.

*_*_*

_Why the hell did I have to go and open my mouth?!!!_

Harry had a lot of time to ponder over that particular thought because as soon as he and Sirius had returned to Grimmauld Place it meant a dinner. And a dinner meant sitting on a hard, wooden chair. And with the condition Harry's ass was in, it was getting quite far from comfortable. He couldn't squirm too visibly and if he moved too much, his ass reminded him of its presence extremely _kindly_.

_Shit. Not that I'm sorry as to __**why **__my ass hurts. But that __**sadist**__ just had to go and really glue my ass to the chair. Damn him for never telling me he could do silent magic! Although I think I should've noticed… He didn't say anything when he did the thing with the fire as well… But I bet he's enjoying this fully._

Harry glanced up from his plate and saw that Sirius really was looking at him from the corner of his eye while talking with Remus. Harry could've sworn he saw his lips curl a bit.

"So, mate. How was it?"

Harry turned to look at Ron who was sitting next to him. "Huh?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "I'm asking where you went, the two of you."

"Oh. To a house near the sea."

"Where?"

"No idea. Sirius didn't tell me the location. But the house was great! It was so beautiful."

Ron smiled a bit.

"So." Harry lowered his voice a bit. It had gotten a lot better during the holidays but was still a bit hoarse. "Have you decided whether you hate or love your secret crush, hmm?"

Ron blushed a bit and turned his gaze to his plate, playing with the potatoes with his fork. "What do you mean?" he muttered, glancing at Hermione who was sitting across the table and talking with Tonks.

"Remus told me. When he came by. That you two can't decide whether you love or hate each other and that you're driving the others up the walls with your constant bickering."

Ron's blush deepened.

"Just need to know, so that I can decide if I'm at this house at all or not," Harry said with a little wink, shoving his friend's side a bit.

"I just can't figure her out, mate. At one second she's sweet and the next it's like I'd just torn a page out her favorite book or something."

"Maybe it's that time of the month?" Harry asked and resumed his eating. Or poking his food around the plate, more precisely.

Harry glanced at his clock and saw that it was nearly nine. He stifled a yawn and searched Sirius' leg under the table, giving it a small kick. Sirius turned to look at him and Harry glanced at his clock meaningfully. Sirius just grinned and continued to eat. Harry looked at him in disbelief.

_He really is a fucking sadist! I've been sitting here for almost an hour and a half! Why's the dinner so late, anyway?!__?!?!_

Harry leaned his head to his hand and started to attack his potatoes. He saw Sirius bend down for a while, apparently talking to Kreacher. Harry gulped down his water and was about to put the goblet down to the table when Kreacher appeared next to him, behind Ron's back.

"Would Harry, sir, want some mulled wine?"

Harry raised his eyebrow a bit. This was way too convenient, from where he was sitting.

_Sirius says something to Kreacher and as soon as my goblet's empty Kreacher asks if I want something? Suuuspicious… _

"Sure, Kreacher. Why not."

The little elf bowed a bit. It returned quickly, giving Harry a goblet full of hot mulled wine with steam rising from it.

Harry lifted the goblet to his lips and took a tentative sip.

_I knew it…_

The mulled wine had been spiked up with Firewhiskey.

Harry sipped the hot liquid slowly, fully aware of the fact that it was rising to his head quickly, making it a bit dizzy. The people around him slowly finished eating and poured to the upper floors or to the fireplace to floo out. When Harry finished his drink there were only Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Hermione, Remus and Sirius present in the kitchen. And Kreacher, of course.

"Harry, dear. How was your Christmas?" Mrs. Weasleys voice sounded cheerful but Harry could make out the little forced undertone.

"Amazing," Harry said truthfully. Luckily he wasn't slurring. Well, not that much that it could be heard.

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "I'm glad you had fun."

Harry nodded, his head feeling heavy and noticed that his ass could move again. He stood up, taking a little support from the table and started to walk toward the door after saying his good nights to everyone.

He managed to get to the bottom of the stairs leading to the upper floors before the floor flipped dangerously under his feet. Harry grabbed the banister and steadied himself, smiling faintly. He slowly dragged himself through the floors and slumped against his door as he reached the fourth. Harry heard a faint snicker behind him and looked over his shoulder, seeing Sirius leaning to the banister and with smug smile on his face.

"Underaged drinking. Tut, tut." Sirius said as he walked across the landing and came to stand next to Harry.

Harry shot Sirius a glare but couldn't suppress a smile. "Any particular reason why you have me drunk right now? 'cause I can assure you that I'm going to sleep tonight."

Sirius' smirk widened. "Can I come in for a sec?"

Harry raised an eyebrow a bit and glanced down the stairs. "At this hour?" He winked.

"Yup." Sirius was the perfect image of innocence as he helped himself in to Harry's room.

Harry locked the door at his wake and went straight to his bed, starting to take his clothes off and change into pajamas.

"You know, for someone who just seconds ago said that he's going to sleep you're being highly suggestive, Sunny boy." Sirius remarked, lying on his stomach on Harry's bed and leaning to his elbows.

"What d'ya mean?" Harry was in the middle of taking his shirt off and stopped his hands as the piece of clothing was over his head.

"Oh, nothing," Sirius said and leaned his head to his hand, licking his lips a bit. "Just that having me in your room… you half naked… I'm finding it hard to resist."

"Well you'll just have to, then. No way in hell you're coming anywhere near my ass tonight." Harry pulled his night-shirt over his head and started to take his jeans off.

"Ahh, why the sudden coldness?" Sirius flung his hand to his chest and rolled to his back. "You're breakin' me heart, mate."

"Maybe if you wouldn't be such a sadist I could reconsider," Harry said and walked to the bathroom.

Sirius snickered devilishly. "Ooh, you're talking about _that_. But it was fun to watch you, babe!"

"Maybe from your point of view, _babe_," Harry said. His words were a bit unclear as he had a toothbrush in his mouth at the moment. "But not from mine, I can assure you. I think won't let you have me for the rest of the Holidays."

Sirius looked mock-horrified. He waved his wand and put up silencing wards. "But my dear darling!!!" Sirius shouted from the bottom of his lungs. Harry covered his ears and laughed. Sirius jumped from the bed as Harry retreated back to the bathroom.

"You can't put me through such torture! What have I ever done to deserve such an act?! Haven't I been the perfect lover?!!" Sirius dropped on his knees next to Harry, lifting hands up like praying and he had the puppy-eyes on again.

Harry chuckled and finished his washing before turning to look down at Sirius. "Perfect lovers do_ not_ glue their partners' ass to a chair almost right after they've pinned said person to the wall and had their wicked way with them." Harry tried very hard not to smirk.

Sirius rose from the floor and waved his hand. "That was just fun. No harm done."

"Sure," Harry said and advanced toward his bed, almost walking along the walls as the floor suddenly swung under his feet quite dangerously. Sirius grabbed Harry's waist and steadied him as he nearly tripped to the floor.

"Wow, you really are wasted, Harrykins. And it was only one goblet."

"And whose fault might that be?"

Although Harry didn't mind his sudden contact with Sirius. In fact, he leaned against Sirius' chest even more.

"Now you have a reason to take a drink tomorrow," Sirius snickered and buried his face to Harry's hair.

"And why would I want to do that?"

"Taking a tattoo is more fun if you're a bit drunk," Sirius said and nibbled Harry's neck.

Harry turned around faster than his head approved and he had to lean to Sirius heavily. "You mean I can get it tomorrow?!"

"Yup."

"Then why get me drunk today already?"

"Thought you might be a bit more consent." Sirius winked.

Harry laughed again. "Oh no, you don't. I told you already, I want to sleep."

"So you're deeming me to no-sex line here?" Sirius pouted.

"Only for tonight, Sirry-Birry. I need to gather a bit of energy." Harry winked as well before he pushed Sirius gently toward the door and made a meaningful glance. With a sigh Sirius lifted the silencing charm and unlocked the door.

"Out," Harry said and gave Sirius a little push.

"You're so mean, Sunny boy!" Sirius grabbed the door frame and tried to stop Harry from pushing him out.

"No I'm not!" Harry staggered a bit and took support of the door that Sirius was keeping open. "I want to _sleep._" Harry shot Sirius a dazzling smile and shut the door.

Sirius sighed exaggeratedly and noticed that Ron was standing behind him. "Hiya, Ron," he said cheerfully. Ron smiled a bit as well.

"I take it that I don't want to go in?" Ron asked and tilted his head toward Harry's door.

"Oh, you can always go in," Sirius said and walked to his own door. "Harry will just probably mistake you as me when you try opening the door and either curse you or throw something at you. Man that kid's stingy about his sleeping time."

Ron chuckled a bit. "Yeah."

"Why'd you want to see him, anyways? It _is_ kinda late, you know."

Ron blushed a bit. "Well- um- it's-… err…" he coughed and looked away.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Got something to do with a certain lady residing in this house whose name I'm not gonna say?"

Ron blinked a bit. "Wha-? How d'you…"

Sirius smirked widely. "I have eyes, Ronald." With that, Sirius went to his room and left Ron gaping in the hall.

**I think I won't go trying my luck… **

Sirius sighed and tore his eyes from the fake wall that was the passageway to Harry's room. He did value his life and more importantly _sex_-life very much, after all.

* * *

So, how did you like the idea of the tattoo? Harry nearly squealed when I brought it up on our palaver the other day.

Harry: I did NOT squeal!

Dowwy: Sure, hun.

Harry: Really! It was Sirius' fault!

Siri: Didn't do a thing. *innocent look*

Harry: You call grabbing my *censored* out of the blue 'doing nothing'?

Siri: Why, yes, as a matter of fact I do.


	17. Chapter 17

Hey, huns! Thanks for the reviews once again!

So, an announcement here. I've never been to London, so all this is purely the production of my scurrying *cough* twisted *cough* imagination.

I hope you like it!

* * *

Sirius and Harry informed everyone at breakfast that they were going to London that day.

"What're you gonna do?" Ron asked.

"This and that…You'll see when we get back," Sirius said. Harry didn't comment at all as he was busy trying to survive the lights in the kitchen.

_It should be fucking illegal to have so bright lights in the kitchen!! I so need a drink…_

Harry was waiting with interest to see how exactly Sirius was going to have him drink something with alcohol under the noses of one Remus Lupin and Molly Weasley.

But Sirius wasn't called a Marauder for nothing. He went to 'talk' about something with Kreacher and came back with a large cup of coffee.

"There," Sirius said and placed the cup in front of Harry. "Drink up so that we can leave."

"But I haven't eaten anything," Harry protested.

"We can grab something in London. Now drink."

Harry sighed a bit and raised the cup to his lips. At the first sip he almost gushed the 'coffee' out. Sirius had apparently replaced half of it with Firewhiskey. Harry gulped it down carefully and was grateful that the cup wasn't that large.

*_*_*

They went to London with the underground again.

"So, you want your tattoo first or go and eat something?" Sirius asked, leaning to the nearby wall. They were standing in a street corner near the entrance to the underground. The hassle that always seemed to be present in London ignored them completely.

"Eat. I'm hungry. Some idiot didn't let me to eat anything at breakfast." Harry shot Sirius a murderous glare that was countered with a wide smirk.

"You shouldn't sleep so long, then," Sirius said and shrugged.

"You woke up after me, Sirry-Birry!"

"But you woke me up! Not that I'm complaining." Sirius winked and Harry snorted. His 'waking up Sirius' had resulted in a need for few more Disillusionment Charms.

"So, where're we going, then?"

"What d'you wanna eat?" Sirius pushed himself off the wall and swirled a small circle.

"Japanese. Is there a restaurant like that around here?"

Sirius tilted his head a bit, thinking. "Aa… Thinking, thinking… Yep."

Sirius dragged Harry through the mass of people and led him to a smaller street that seemed to be housing several different Asian restaurants.

*_*_*

As Harry and Sirius were walking along the streets to the tattoo-shop Harry suddenly remembered what Sirius had said last night.

"You know, if it's more fun to get the tattoo a bit drunk then why am I still sober?"

Sirius grinned and handed Harry a bottle of water that he'd grabbed along from Grimmauld Place. Harry looked at it suspiciously.

"Sirius, that's water. Are you all right or should I call for a healer?"

Sirius laughed. "Take a sip, Sunny boy."

Harry raised an eyebrow but opened the bottle and took a swig. As soon as the liquid hit his mouth he realized that it was Firewhiskey, but he had a full mouthful of it and could do nothing but swallow it all. Harry had to stop in the middle of a step and grab Sirius' arm so that he stayed in balance as the alcohol hit his system. He gasped and gripped Sirius tighter.

"Satisfied?" Sirius asked smiling as he looked at Harry who was gulping for air.

"Cl-clever…" Harry managed to wheeze.

"That I am," Sirius said with a smug smirk. "It looks like water on the outside so no worries."

They walked for a few minutes more before they reached their destination. The Firewhiskey had already reached Harry's stomach and was emitting warmth to his whole body from there.

Sirius led the way as they walked inside and to the counter.

"Hiya," the bloke said behind the desk. "Wha can I do for ya?" He stretched out his hand. "Bro."

Sirius took the offered hand and grinned a bit. "Sirius. Tattoos."

"'kay." The bloke nodded a bit. He looked like you'd suppose for a tattoo-artist: tattoos on his arms and neck and a few piercings as well. "Wha d'you want it to be?"

Suddenly Harry realized that he could probably never explain well enough for the man to understand but Sirius had taken care of that already.

"This," Sirius said and pulled a paper from his pocket, placing it to the counter.

Harry leaned closer as did the tattooist. He just gaped at the picture for a while before looking at Sirius.

"I didn't know you could draw," Harry said, the surprise clearly audible in his voice.

"D'you want it to be exactly like this?" Bro asked and scrutinized the picture thoroughly.

It was the same image as Sirius had shown Harry. The wolf was lying on his stomach, his head resting against his outstretched front paw and Padfoot was lying half on top of it, his other front paw right next to the wolfs, head on top of the wolfs and their tails were entwined.

"As much as you can get it to be. That's just a raw sketch, though. Feel free to modify it a bit if you like." Sirius said and smirked as he looked from Bro to Harry, who was still looking at Sirius.

"Halloo!! Earth to Harry!"

Harry blinked and Bro looked a bit amused.

"Is it just for you?" The tattooist asked, looking at Sirius.

"Nope. Sunny boy here as well."

Harry looked a bit irritated. "Would you please stop calling me that?"

Sirius snickered. "Not a chance."

"Where do ye want it?" Bro asked, scrutinizing the picture.

"In here for me," Sirius said and pointed to his left upper arm.

Bro nodded and turned to look at Harry. "'n' ye?"

"In here," Harry said and pointed to his waist. "Above the hipbone."

"Okay. D'ye want to take 'em at the same time? Cause if you do, it might be slightly different for the other 'cause it's not me doing it."

"Will it be a lot different?" Sirius asked.

"Don't think so."

"Then the same time it is."

"'kay. Ashley!"

A tall, white-haired woman appeared from the back room and came to stand next to Bro. "Wha?"

"These two want the same tattoo. You want to do the arm or the hipbone?"

Ashley looked at Harry and Sirius before grinning. "Which one's the hipbone?" She asked with a wink.

"That'd be me," Harry said and winked as well. The Firewhiskey was working on full steam right now.

"That so?" Ashley said and looked at Harry. She took in the green eyes, long hair and the snake earring. "How old're you, lov?"

Harry smiled dashingly, leaving Ashley blinking for a while. "I'm fifteen, lov. And the name's Harry."

Ashley smiled as well before looking at the picture again. "I don't think I'll modify this a lot. Come here for a sec." Ashley walked around the counter and Harry walked to her.

"Shirt up."

Harry raised an eyebrow before opening his jacket and reaching for the hem of his shirt, pulling it up.

"Hmm…" Ashley muttered. "You want it to be a bit arched over the bone or just straight?" She asked.

"Which one d'you reckon is better?"

Ashley bit her lips ponderingly and eyed Harry's waist. "Arched, I'd say."

"Fine with me," Harry said and let his shirt slip back down.

"Okay. Gimme about twenty minutes, Harry. You can go and sit there," Ashley said and pointed to the place where the tattooing took place. "You can put your clothes to the rack."

"'kay." Harry hung his jacket to the pointed piece of furniture and went to sit.

Sirius came to sit next to Harry.

"You never told me you could draw," Harry said.

Sirius smirked lewdly. "_That_ thing just never came up."

Harry laughed.

"Want a sip?" Sirius asked and swung the 'water bottle' in front of Harry's face.

"Yup," Harry said and stretched out his hand.

Sirius smirked and grabbed the bottle a bit more firmly, taking a gulp himself before handing it to Harry.

Bro came and sat to his chair. "Arm," he said to Sirius.

Sirius took off his hoodies, revealing a sleeveless shirt so that Bro could place the carbon copy of the picture to Sirius' upper arm.

"Go take a look," Bro said and jerked his head towards the mirror on the wall. Sirius nearly bounced up and went to see his reflection. He looked at his arm from all the different angles before returning to his seat.

"Perfect," Sirius announced and lifted his arm to the armrest in front of Bro.

"Good," Bro said and set to work.

Ashley came as well and ordered Harry to stand up. She placed her own copy of the picture to Harry's waist and ordered him to go take a look.

Harry's face lit up in a huge smile when he saw the tattoo. Ashley had kept it pretty much same as to what it had been but added something that looked like mist or something, judging by the lines, circling the two animals.

"I love it," Harry stated.

"The place okay with you?"

"Yup."

"Good then," Ashley said. "Over here, if you may." She bowed a bit towards the bed-like thing near her and Harry laughed. He liked Ashley for her easy-going nature and for the fact that he wasn't treated like a total kid.

Harry went to lie on the 'bed' and lifted his shirt.

"Here we go, then," Ashley said.

*_*_*

After an hour and a half Harry and Sirius exited the tattoo-shop. Ashley had said to Harry that if he ever felt like it, he could come back in a few years and ask her out. She'd said it with a laugh and a wink. Harry'd been quite wasted at that moment and had winked back, smiling and saying that he might consider.

Harry didn't really have any idea where they were going. Suddenly Sirius stopped and Harry nearly tripped as the man grabbed his arm. Harry laughed and turned to look at Sirius.

"Wha?" Harry asked.

"Want a piercing?" Sirius asked. He had quite the sly grin on his face.

"Depends," Harry answered. He licked his lips a bit.

"Of what?"

"Whether you say no, if I tell where I'd like to get a piercing, or not."

"Depends," Sirius said with a wink. "Spit it out, Sunny boy."

"Here," Harry said and pointed.

Sirius blinked.

"And here," Harry said and pointed again.

An inscrutable smile made its way to Sirius face as he looked at Harry, tilting his head a bit.

"No objections," Sirius said suddenly and pulled Harry to the move again, dragging him through the streets of London.

*_*_*

Harry and Sirius were back in Grimmauld Place for dinner. They'd seen the Evening Prophet along the way back and it made them grin widely. In the front page was once again a picture of Harry and Sirius, this time in the Japanese restaurant. The article went on and on about their 'sweet reunion' etc. etc.

Everyone else was in the kitchen when Sirius and Harry arrived. Sirius slumped to his chair, Harry coming in to the room a bit after him.

Harry walked behind Sirius and tilted his head back by grabbing the man's chin from behind. He lowered his face until their lips were almost touching each other. Harry tried to suppress his smirk as he was sure everyone in the room was looking at them with their mouths reaching the floor.

Suddenly Harry flung his hands away from Sirius' face and straightened himself.

"Not!" Harry yelled and slumped to the chair next to Sirius. He rocked with his chair and leaned to the wall. Sirius grabbed the Evening Prophet from the table and leaned against the wall as well.

"Hah! I told you, Sunny boy! It was a date!" Sirius waved the paper in front of Harry's face and smiled triumphantly.

"What? Really?! Gee, you should've told me, Siri!" Harry said and grabbed the paper, overdoing the motion greatly.

"A kiss to make it up to you?" Sirius asked and grabbed Harry's chin, lifting it up and leaning closer, pushing his lips out.

Harry laughed and whacked Sirius in the head with the paper before hiding his face to Sirius' shoulder.

"You're embarrassing me, Sirius," Harry said. "And in front of all these people as well… They must be shocked."

"Aww… They don't mind, Harrykins," Sirius said and patted Harry's head. He glanced at the people around the table and saw that all of them were looking at him and Harry with their jaws really on the floor by now. Harry glanced at them as well.

"See, now you shocked them to death," Harry said and poked Sirius' side.

Sirius turned to look at Harry. He saw that the young wizard was trying very hard not to laugh.

"More food for me, then," Sirius said.

They managed to keep their grave faces for a second longer before bursting out laughing. Harry swung his chair back to all four legs and leaned his head to his hands, laughing his head off. He managed to lift his head a bit and saw that everyone was still looking utterly bewildered. That just made Harry laugh even more and he had to clutch his sides.

"Okay then, Sunny boy. Straighten your face," Sirius said, succeeding to keep a serious face. "I think we shocked them enough already."

"Bu- but…" Harry couldn't continue as he started to laugh again.

Sirius sighed and turned to look at the group around the table.

"He'll be with us in about an hour, I think. If he can stop laughing, that is."

"But Siri," Harry managed to gasp. "Their faces-" This sent Harry to another fit of laughter.

Sirius shook his head. "You just don't know where to stop, do you? It's essential for a good jest that you yourself aren't the one to laugh your head off." Sirius sounded mock-scolding as he tapped Harry's head and his words seemed to stir some life to the others in the room.

"What?" Tonks asked, swallowing. "A… jest?!"

"Indeed," Sirius said and smiled extremely slyly. "Oscar's, if you may. That was a good piece of acting."

"Acting?" Mrs. Weasley this time.

"Seems so," Remus said. Although he knew a bit better that the others. But the previous thing had been pure theatre. "Add one to one and there you have it." He nodded towards the paper that was now on the table again and then to the shaking figure that was Harry. He was still giggling slightly.

When Harry lifted his head above the table, a few jaws hit the floor again.

"Harry?" Mrs. Weasley again. "What exactly is that?"

"Hmm?"

"On your lip, dear."

"Oh, this?" Harry fingered his lip ring.

"Indeed. And may I inquire what it's doing there?"

"I took it today and that's that. You shouldn't have any problem with it. Right, Molly?"

Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth but wisely remained quiet.

"The food is ready," Kreacher said.

"I won't be eating, Kreacher," Harry said and looked at the house-elf. "But do we happen to have some ice-cream?"

"We do, Harry, sir."

"Could you get me a little of it?"

"With pleasure, Harry. sir."

The food floated to the table and everyone started to eat, throwing glances towards Harry and Sirius between the bites. Kreacher brought Harry his ice-cream and he started to eat it slowly.

When Ron had eaten he suddenly rose from his chair. "Harry, mate. Can we talk for a while?" He looked a bit odd but no-one noticed it.

"Sure," Harry said and placed his spoon to the table.

Harry followed Ron to the library and noticed that Hermione came too.

_Hoo… I though that Ron wanted to talk about Hermione… Interesting…_

Ron shut the door at their wake and Harry leaned to a nearby table.

"What is it, Ron?" Harry asked.

Ron didn't answer for a while. He just paced in front of Harry. Hermione sat at an armchair near the fire and eyed the boys a bit worriedly. She was pretty sure she knew what Ron was going to say and it might not solve out prettily, knowing Harry's temper. That's why she was here, to act as a referee if things came to that. Although Hermione wished deeply that it wouldn't.

Finally Ron opened his mouth. "What the hell's wrong with you?!"

Hermione groaned inwardly. Not the best thing to strike up a conversation with.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?!! I mean that how the hell can you act like that?" Ron waved his hand vaguely.

"Act like what?"

"Like how you just did in the kitchen!! Like it's all just a big joke!"

"It isn't? And how do you want me to act, anyway?"

"How in the bloody hell can you be like that when the Prophet is writing about you and Sirius almost every fucking day?!!" Ron resumed his pacing and Harry looked at him amused.

"And it concerns me how, exactly? I've never given a rat's ass about what they write about me. So why should I now?"

"But doesn't it bother you in the fucking slightest that almost everyone in the country thinks that you're fucking with your own Godfather?!!"

"Language, Ron," Hermione snapped and because Ron turned away from Harry he didn't see the small smile that twisted his lips.

"Shut it, Hermione," Ron snapped back before turning back at Harry.

"And do you think that everyone believes what the Prophet writes?" Harry inquired, placing his hands to the edge of the table.

"Why in the bloody hell wouldn't they?!"

"I still don't see how this should concern me 'in the fucking slightest'." Harry made quotation-marks around the words and it was obvious as daylight he as being sarcastic.

"For Merlin's sake, Harry! They're making you out as a fucking queer!"

At this Harry smiled a bit. "Tell me, Ron. Why exactly are you so concerned about this, anyway? It has absolutely nothing to do with you."

"Of course it has something to do with me! You're my best friend, here! I'm supposed to get mad, even on your behalf if the Prophet writes something about that!"

"But it has nothing to do with you, Ron. So why be so sensitive? It was just an act in the kitchen and that's how I and Sirius deal with this. With humor."

"That's exactly what I don't fucking understand!!" Ron shouted. "How the hell can you take it with humor when all of the Wizardring World thinks that you're gay?!!"

Harry crossed his arms and leaned back. "Makes it easier, really," he said, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Makes what easier?" Ron spat.

"No need to come out of the closet if you're orientation has been tooted in a magazine that goes worldwide."

Ron backed away a few steps and looked at Harry, his mouth hanging slightly ajar. "What did you say?"

Harry sighed and unfolded his arms, taking a step closer to Ron. "Do I need to spell it out for you? Very well then. I. Am. Gay," he said. "There. Or do you want me to write it down as well?"

Ron just gaped at Harry for a while. "What the hell?!!" he shouted from the bottom of his lungs. "What the hell are you saying?!!!"

"What?" Harry said. "You didn't hear me just now? Or is it perhaps that you don't believe your ears?"

"But that's disgusting!!" Ron shouted.

Harry tilted his head a bit. "Tell me Ron, have you ever tried it, hmm?"

"Tried what?!"

Harry grinned and took a step towards Ron who backed away at least five steps. "I think you know what I mean."

"Hell no!!"

"Then how can you say it's disgusting? I could all as well come to you and say that you're disgusting for wanting to kiss Hermione. A girl."

"That's completely different!"

"How exactly is it different, Ron? You like girls, I like boys. That's that. No need to get so stingy."

Ron just opened and closed his mouth like a fish on dry land and Harry walked straight in front of him. After he'd grown he was about the same height as Ron and could look him straight in the eye.

"Or do you want to try it?" Harry licked his lips a bit and saw the disgusted look on Ron's face. He saw Ron's hand move and felt when it hit the side of his mouth. Harry staggered a bit and leaned to a nearby bookshelf, wiping the side of his mouth and tasting blood. He laughed then, coldly, and heard Hermione yell.

"I take that as a no," Harry said and spat a bit of blood towards Ron. He straightened and walked towards the door. Before he could reach it, though, the door flung open and Sirius walked inside. He was about to say something when he saw the blood in the corner of Harry's mouth.

Sirius pulled Harry closer and grabbed his chin, tilting his head. His eyes darkened and he pursed his lips at seeing the small line of blood and the wound in Harry's lip.

Sirius let go of Harry and the teen made an attempt to walk out. Sirius grabbed his arm, preventing him from moving.

"I'm leaving," Harry said, his voice nonchalant and eyes blank. "Be back at some point."

Sirius let go of Harry's arm and the teen walked out of the room. They heard as the front door banged shut.

Sirius closed the door again and when he turned around again he saw that Ron had went to sit at one of the armchairs. Sirius approached them until he was in front of Ron's chair and then he bent down, putting his hand to the backrest and the other to the arm of the chair.

"Explain." Sirius' voice was emotionless and when Ron lifted his gaze defiantly his eyes met piercing grey one's that were now cold as ice.

"He fucking deserved it," Ron said loudly.

*_*_*

Harry returned many hours later. He went to the kitchen and found Remus sitting in there, with a cup of cocoa.

"Couldn't sleep," Remus said and tilted his head towards the cup.

Harry didn't say anything; he just went to get some ice and wrapped a dishcloth around them, pressing the roll to his swollen lip.

"He regretted that," Remus said quietly, pointing a bit towards Harry's lip. "Or should I say Sirius made him regret it."

"What did he do?"

"I don't really want to know. The time I got there Sirius had Ron on his knees and sputtering apologies."

"I see."

There was a long silence during which neither of them spoke.

"He'll come out of it, Harry," Remus said quietly.

"I don't think so. You didn't see him."

"If I remember correctly James reacted quite the same way when Sirius told us."

Harry looked at Remus surprised. "You mean he told you?"

"Sure he did. James was shocked and acted like a little kid, actually. Me and him-" Harry noticed that Remus didn't say Wormtails name, "- more or less knew already."

"When was it?"

"During our fifth year."

"So how did James get over it?"

"He force-fed Veritaserum to Sirius and asked him if he really was gay. Then that Sirius would promise to leave James' ass alone for eternity or something like that."

Harry smiled in the slightest and twitched as he felt it in his lip. It hurt enough as it was, with the new piercing and all, but after Ron had hit him the pain had magnified.

"Go and check that with Sirius," Remus said and pointed towards Harry's lip. "He can heal it. I could too, but for some very peculiar reason Sirius was always better with healing charms than any of us. He heard a lot about it from James, who thought it hilarious that the most reckless of the Marauders was so capable at healing, instead of other 'more fun' things, as he so charmingly put it."

"You mean Sirius isn't sleeping?"

"I highly doubt that," Remus said with a lopsided smirk.

Harry nodded and returned the ice, walking to the kitchen door. He climbed to the fourth floor and went to his own room, changing to his pajamas before he slipped through the fake wall to Sirius' room.

Sirius had apparently been waiting for him. The lights were still on in his room and he was sitting on his bed, back against the headboard, reading. Sirius turned to look at Harry and closed his book, placing it to the nightstand before sliding off the bed and coming to stand in front of Harry. He raised his wand, muttering something, and Harry felt his lip closing and the pain dissolving. Although the spot where the piercing was still ached a bit.

"Thanks," Harry said quietly and Sirius pulled him to a tight hug.

"It's okay, Harry," Sirius said and Harry knew that he didn't mean just the healing.

Harry sighed and buried his head to Sirius' chest, wrapping his arms around Sirius tightly.

Sirius walked backwards towards his bed, pulling Harry with him. They climbed between the blankets and Sirius turned off the lights. Harry nuzzled deep into Sirius' warmth and buried his head to Sirius' neck, inhaling his scent.

Sirius wrapped his hands around Harry and pulled him closer. They were both lying on their sides, Sirius on his left and Harry on his right. Harry put his arm over Sirius' side and pressed himself as close to Sirius as he could.

"There's nothing disgusting in this," Harry whispered.

Sirius flung his leg over Harry's waist and pulled him closer still. "No, there isn't," he confirmed, answering to Harry's unasked question. "It doesn't matter which way you swing, Harry. As long as you're happy, that's all what matters."

Harry squeezed Sirius' shirt in his hand. "I'm happy with you," he breathed and felt a tear trailing down his cheek. "And it doesn't matter to me that you're a guy."

"It shouldn't matter, Harry," Sirius said and hugged Harry even tighter.

"What's he got against gay people, anyway?"

"I don't think it was really personal, Harry. James did almost the same thing when I told him, Remus, and Wormtail."

"Yeah, I heard. Remus told me."

"He did?"

"Just a while ago. In the kitchen."

Sirius chuckled a bit. "Anyways, I asked James later – a lot later- why he'd reacted like that."

"What did he say?"

Sirius was silent for a moment. "That he'd been scared."

"What?" Harry raised his head in the slightest and Sirius gave him a crooked smile.

"That's what he said. You know how it is. You hear about something- at this it's being gay- and say to yourself that you're cool with it but when it actually is your best friend telling you that he likes blokes and you happen to be one yourself it might startle you. That's what James said, anyway."

"Did he ask something else as well, as you were so conveniently under the potion at the time?" Harry raised an eyebrow and Sirius chuckled.

"I think I'll leave that for another day," Sirius said and kissed Harry's neck. "How's your lip, by the way? And tongue?"

"They hurt a bit. Can't you take the pain away?"

"For a sec, maybe." Sirius said, reaching for his wand. He was conveniently on top of Harry after that, as he had to grab the wand from the nightstand and by doing so he pushed Harry to lie on his back.

Sirius muttered something and tapped Harry's mouth. "Better?"

"Much," Harry said and grabbed Sirius' head, pulling him down for a kiss. It felt odd at first as Sirius' lips rubbed against Harry's lip-ring but the teen found the sensation pleasurable very quickly. He opened his mouth and let Sirius tongue in, where it played with Harry's tongue-piercing. This, too, Harry found pleasant very quickly and he uttered a disappointed sound when Sirius pulled away.

"Interesting," Sirius said and licked his lips.

"Indeed," Harry agreed before pulling Sirius' head back down.

When Sirius pulled away again he tilted his head. "How's your hip?"

"Okay," Harry said. "Hurts a bit."

Sirius slid to Harry's side and lowered his head.

"Hey, what're you doing?" Harry asked, laughing softly.

Sirius chuckled a bit as well before he placed a kiss to Harry's hipbone through the shirt. "Better?" he asked again and Harry chuckled.

"Much," Harry said and Sirius crawled back beside him, wrapping his arms around Harry and pressing his body firmly against the younger man's. Harry entwined their fingers and squirmed a bit, nestling himself against Sirius body.

"Just give him time, Harry," Sirius murmured. "If he's really your friend he won't judge you for this."

Harry didn't answer. He just sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying Sirius' arms around him.

* * *

...

Reviews?


	18. Chapter 18

Hello again and sorry for the wait! But (most unfortunately and let's curse the gods) I have a life other than writing and posting this story. BUU! If it was up to me, I'd spend my every waking hour with these two gents!

Thanks for the reviews once again! I'm not feeling the urge to blabber right now so I'll just let you get on with the story.

(Btw, this continues straight again ;) )

* * *

Harry didn't sleep well that night. Most of the time he just listened to Sirius' deep breathing behind his ear, maybe managing to doze off for a little while. He was startled awake by a loud knock on the door, feeling a bit disoriented as Sirius slipped away from beside him.

"What?" Sirius asked, opening the door. "Better be important or you'll regret this. Deeply."

Harry didn't see who it was but apparently not Remus. The werewolf would have been quite unfazed by such threat, getting his fair share during school.

"Have you seen Harry?" It was Hermione. "He's not in his room or anywhere in the house, for that matter."

Sirius tilted his head. "It depends."

"On what?" Even without seeing his friend, Harry was sure she was frowning at the moment.

"What d'you want from him."

"I just want to talk to him! Sirius please! Do you know where he is?!"

Sirius turned to look at Harry, raising an eyebrow. Harry shrugged and sat up, leaning to the headboard of the bed and grossing his arms, lifting one leg over the other.

"In here," Sirius said and opened the door a bit more, letting Hermione in.

"Oh Harry!" Hermione shrieked and ran towards the bed. Sirius closed the door and put up the silencing charm, locking the door before he followed Hermione.

"How're you? How's your lip? Are you alright?"

Harry raised an eyebrow and lifted three fingers. "I'm okay,-" he bent one finger down, "-Sirius healed my lip so it's okay as well,-" he bent the second finger, "-and I don't know." Harry bent the third finger.

Hermione sat on the edge of the bed, looking slightly uncomfortable. "You know… He didn't mean it. Ron."

"That so?" Harry asked.

"I think so, yeah. He was just a bit stressed out, that's all."

"He? Stressed out?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah."

"Why in the bloody hell?"

Hermione glanced at Harry before returning her gaze back to her lap, twisting the fabric of her skirt in her hands. "Because of you, I suppose."

Harry raised his eyebrow again. "You suppose?"

"Harry, you have no idea what we've been through!"

"Then tell."

Hermione took a shivering breath.

"First we read from the papers that Sirius has been cleared from all charges and that he's officially innocent. Few weeks later we read that you and Sirius are a couple and that you've been going out,-" Harry opened his mouth but Hermione waved him quiet. "I'm talking, Harry. Dumbledore tells us that the Prophet is lying. The Prophet continues. You go to Azkaban and the Papers are full of that. No-one tells us anything about why you're there. You come back and live with Sirius in private quarters at Hogwarts. You barely speak to us. We come back here and on the first night you go away again. With Sirius. You're gone for two weeks and you come back. You go to London again and the Papers are full of that. Then your act in the kitchen. Then you go and drop the bomb."

Hermione inhaled deeply after her little speech.

"The bomb?" Harry asked.

"Come on, Harry! It's not every day your friend tells you he's gay and then comes on to his other friend. I mean, what were you thinking?"

"So you're not highly disgusted with it, then?"

"Harry, of course not! You're my friend, I'd never be disgusted with you!"

"See, Sunny boy? Told you so," Sirius said, poking Harry's side with his finger.

"I'm not talking to Ron right now, Sirius."

"He'll come out of it, Harry," Hermione assured. "If he doesn't, then you know that he really wasn't your friend. Although I highly doubt that. Ron's an idiot but he really loves you, Harry. It's just that he really thought you'd hook up with Ginny."

"Loves?" Harry laughed. "I highly doubt that, Hermione. You saw him last night. And when did he decide I'd hook up with Ginny? I told the girl long ago I love her like a sister and that's it. Not my fault if they don't want to believe me."

"Ron loves you as a friend, you dummy," Hermione said. "And I already said that he's an idiot. And he has a thick skull, remember that. I think you stomped on his pride a bit as well."

"And how d'you figure that?"

"I'm pretty sure you weren't supposed to say anything about Ron having a crush on me, Harry. And you _did _say that kissing girls is disgusting."

"I was just making a point, Hermione. Sorry for telling you."

Hermione shook her head. "No need to be sorry, I already kinda knew."

"Really? How's that?"

"I have ears, Harry. I heard Sirius and Ron talking the day before yesterday. In the evening."

"When?"

"When you so coldly kicked me out of your room, Sunny boy. He was in the hallway. Wanted to talk to you." Sirius turned to look at Hermione. "But I didn't say anything about you."

"No you didn't," Hermione replied. "But as the other option was pretty much Tonks I kinda figured that you meant me."

"So, did you two fall happily into each others arms after I left, then?" Harry asked, chuckling when Hermione pursed her lips and huffed.

"Not a chance there, Harry. Besides, I was a bit busy trying to convince Sirius here that Ron's mother wouldn't really appreciate it if her son would've had to be peeled off the ground with a brush."

"Were you now?" Harry asked and turned to look at Sirius who had a very ugly look on his face.

"He would've deserved it," Sirius said darkly. "He had no right to hit you."

"Maybe I went a teensy-weensy bit too far," Harry said, tilting his head and grinning.

"A bit more than that, Harry. Ron was really shocked," Hermione scolded.

"No-one forced him to say what he did," Harry snapped. "I said nothing when he told me he liked you, even though I knew it might not work out."

"But that's a bit different, Harry."

"Exactly how is it different?"

"Well…" Hermione didn't seem to know what to say. "You know, Harry, even in the Wizadring World people are prejudiced. Gay people are rare even here."

"So you're saying I'm not normal?"

"Of course not, Harry!" Hermione snapped. "Quit with that martyr-act!"

Harry smiled. "Well, Hermione, I can tell you something. I've never _been_ normal. Not in my entire life. So why should it be such a surprise that I'm 'abnormal' in that section as well?"

"Abnormal." Hermione scoffed. "You really like it, don't you?"

Harry's smile widened. "It depends what aspect of my abnormality we're talking about here. But if we stick to our original conversation-topic then yes, I really like it." Harry winked and Hermione started coughing.

"Siirii," Harry mock-whined. "They're all so sensitive!!"

"Be a bit more discreet, Sunny boy. That might help."

"Oh, Hermione, by the way," Harry said, eyeing his friend.

"Yes?" Hermione seemed to have recovered her coughing, although she was still slightly red.

"Does the rest of the house know?"

"That you're gay?"

Harry nodded.

"I think so. You weren't exactly quiet yesterday and Ron went on and on about it later."

"Did he now?"

"Although he did apologize," Hermione said.

"After I threatened him," Sirius put in cheerfully.

"I see. And do I want to know their reactions?" Harry asked.

"Shocked," Sirius said, smiling.

Harry snorted. "What time is it, by the way?"

Sirius turned to look at the clock. "Two."

"Did you already eat lunch?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione again.

"Nope," Hermione stated. "That's one of the reasons I was looking for you. Although Kreacher said that it could just bring you some food if you don't want to come down."

"Nah, I'll come," Harry said and rose from the bed. "I'll take a detour to my own room, though."

Hermione nodded and smiled, standing up as well. "I'll see you downstairs, then," she said and surprised Harry by pulling him into a tight hug. Harry chuckled lightly and wrapped his arms around Hermione, giving her a short squeeze.

"It's gonna be alright, Harry," Hermione whispered and pulled away. She smiled and walked to the door. "You coming?"

Harry smiled and followed Hermione, giving Sirius a brief smile as he walked out.

*_*_*

The lunch was eaten in a bit of a tense atmosphere. Molly was once again mad at Sirius, this time for pointing his wand to her precious son. No-one mentioned anything about last night but Harry could feel their glances passing him as he ate in silence. Ron was sitting at the other end of the table, not looking up from his plate.

It was Tonks who broke the silence. "So, Harry. Got your eyes on anyone?" She was sitting in front of Harry across the table, kicking Harry's leg playfully as she smirked.

Harry smirked and kicked Tonks' leg in return. "Not telling."

"Oh, c'mon, Harry! You can tell your Godfathers cousin's daughter anything!" Tonks exclaimed, winking exaggeratedly.

"My what?" Harry blinked owlishly before suddenly remembering hazily that Sirius had mentioned something like that in the park.

"Lemme explain," Tonks said. "My mother has two sisters. Well, that's beside the point, really… Anyway, my mother is Sirius' cousin. Her mother was Sirius' father's sister, I think. So there you have it!"

"Err- sorry? Have what? I kinda lost track at the point where you said 'two sisters'."

Tonks sighed exaggeratedly. "And I was told you have brains." Tonks turned to look at Sirius. "Is it still here? I've heard about it from my mother."

"It's still here," Sirius said with a scorn look on his face. "I couldn't get the damn thing down from the wall."

"What?" Harry asked.

"Oh, you're done! Let's go, then!" Tonks said and stood up, knocking her chair down along the way.

"Go where?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"Come along," Sirius said and pulled Harry up, dragging him out of the kitchen and to the second floor.

Suddenly Harry was standing in the living room, looking at a huge tapestry spreading from wall to wall. It looked ancient and Harry wondered how on Earth it was still in one piece. In the top of it, there was something written in thin golden threads. Harry squinted his eyes and could make out the word Black in there.

When Harry saw the lines tracing down from there it clicked. A family tree. Harry leaned closer and scanned the tapestry, trying to find Sirius name.

"You won't find me in there," Sirius said.

"Huh? Why?"

Sirius pointed at the tapestry, near the bottom. Harry leaned closer and saw a little round mark, like a cigarette burn. "My charming mother blasted me away when I ran away from home."

Harry turned to look at Sirius. "You ran away?! Why? Where'd you go?"

Sirius smiled gloomily. "When I was sixteen. Couldn't stand them anymore. They and their disgusting believe that if you're a Black everyone should just bend down and lick your boots. I went to James' house."

"You did?" Harry asked, his eyes widening.

"Yeah. James' parents were great; they kinda adopted me or something like that. I spent the holidays there and when I turned seventeen I got a place of my own in London."

"So that's why you know the city so well!"

Sirius smiled sadly. "I was there all the time when I still lived here. Only came back to this house to sleep. Otherwise I tried to stay clear of this place. And here I am again." Sirius uttered a small laughter but it was laced with bitterness.

"Sorry," Harry said and looked down.

"Nothing to do with you, Sunny boy," Sirius said, trying to sound cheerful. "When I find another house I think this one might just get into a small accident." He grinned widely. "That always makes me feel better."

Tonks coughed a bit. "So, Harry. Over here," Tonks said and pointed a bit left to Sirius' mark where there were three names. Well, two, actually. The middle one had been blasted off as well.

"My mother," Tonks said cheerfully and pointed to the place that was burnt. "Sirius' mother removed her when she married my father. A Muggle. Oh, the scandal." Tonks rolled her eyes.

Harry looked at the names beside Tonks' mother. Narcissa Black and Bellatrix Black. From Narcissa there was a small golden thread to Lucius Malfoy and they entwined, leading to Draco Malfoy.

"You're related to the Malfoys!" Harry said, surprised.

Sirius snorted. "Every pureblood family is related somehow, Harrykins. That's what happens when parents allow their children only to marry other purebloods."

Harry looked at the other name that connected with Rodolphus Lestrange. "Lestrange…," he muttered. He was sure he'd heard the name before. Somewhere.

"They're in Azkaban," Sirius said curtly.

And then Harry remembered. Dumbledore's Pensieve. He'd seen the woman in there. Black hair and a maniac glint in her eyes as she'd claimed to be Voldemort's most loyal supporter.

"So she's your cousin as well?"

"Yeah." Sirius looked like he'd bitten something extremely sour. "Not that I'm proud of it. They could all go to Hell, if you ask me."

Harry turned his gaze back to the tapestry, his eyes sweeping past the names and dates, seeing a fair share of burnt marks like Sirius' and Tonks' mothers.

"Every time someone even half-decent was born into the family, my mother blasted them away," Sirius said, eyeing the whole canvas like it was a poisonous tarantella. "Blood-traitor, Squib, Muggle-liker… Be considered as one, and you don't exist."

"Why?" Harry asked, turning to look at Sirius.

"The family's motto is '_Toujours Pur',_" Sirius said. "Figure from there, Harrykins. The lot of them was blood-fanatics who supported Voldemort's quest of 'cleaning' the world from scum like Mudbloods. My stupid brother was imbecile enough to join the Death Eater's himself."

"No way," Harry said, his eyes widening. Sirius gave the teen a crooked smile that held no happy feelings.

"Haven't you seen enough of this place to figure out what kind of people those bastards were?"

"But-"

"I'm not happy about it, nor proud," Sirius snapped, sliding a hand through his hair as his eyes flashed. He spun around on his heels and gazed out of the window, not seeing as Tonks tilted her head and exited the room silently, leaving the two of them there alone as the door clicked shut.

"I never said you should be," Harry said, going to stand next to the man. "But it doesn't matter to me what kind of people they were. I didn't know them. But I know you, and I know you're a good person with a heart of gold, 'kay?"

"Quit with the sweet-talk," Sirius said melancholically but his eyes didn't look as dark anymore as he looked at Harry again.

"You always say something like that to me, so I decided to return the favour," Harry said with a shrug. "It's true, anyways."

Sirius managed a small chuckle as he slid his hand to Harry's hair, giving him a quick peck before pulling away again.

"The hidden space," Harry said suddenly, grabbing Sirius' arm.

"Excuse me?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"In my trunk. The hidden space; where is it?" Harry asked.

"Are you saying you still haven't found it? My gosh, you really are simple." Sirius said, a grin spreading to his face.

"Am not! There is no hidden space in the trunk!"

"Oh yes, there is, Sunny boy. You're just so dim you can't find it. Can't outdo my superior brain, I see," Sirius said and smiled triumphantly.

"Then show me," Harry demanded.

"I just might. Depends on what you'll pay me," Sirius replied, winking.

"Depends on what you want."

Sirius tilted his head and licked his lips.

Harry chuckled. "Definitely no. Anything else?"

"Don't want anything else."

"I see. Poor me."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Poor you?"

"Yes, poor me," Harry said and winked, going to the door. "Well, I'll be upstairs if you need me." With a lecherous grin passing Harry's face, he walked to the hallway and started to climb up the stairs.

Sirius raised an eyebrow before going to the hallway as well and descending to the kitchen.

*_*_*

Harry searched for the hidden place in his trunk for an hour. Nothing. Zip. Nada. He started to doubt –again- that there even wasn't any hidden space in the damn thing.

_Sirius pulled my leg for sure…_

Harry heard the door open and closing. When he turned around, he saw Sirius. "And to what do I owe the pleasure?"he inquired, watching as Sirius slumped to the bed.

"Moony's boring."

"I see. And that has exactly what to do with the fact that you're there?"

"Dim as ever, I see," Sirius said and rolled to his stomach, leaning on his hand. "Moony's boring. He can't entertain me. So I'm bored. Fix it."

"Come here."

Sirius grinned and slipped off the bed, coming to sit next to Harry on the floor.

"Show me," Harry said and pointed to the trunk. "The hidden space."

"Told you I want payment."

"We can discuss your payment later."

"Nope. Now."

Harry sighed a bit and leaned to his trunk. "I told you already. Definitely not."

"Whyy?" Sirius whined, nuzzling against Harry's side.

"It's the middle of the day, Sirius."

"So?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "You know. People. Walking around the house. A visit at an inconvenient time is all I need right now."

Sirius pouted and had puppy-eyes.

"Not working Siri."

"But, but, but…"

"No buts. I didn't say anything about the night time." Harry winked and a smug grin spread to Sirius' face.

"Hmm… That so?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow.

Harry tilted his head towards the trunk.

"Yeah, yeah." Sirius sighed and stretched out his hand. "Keys."

With a chuckle Harry reached for said item and placed them to Sirius' palm.

Sirius opened the fifth compartment and reached inside. He had a concentrated look on his face and after a while of scrabbling he made a victorious sound and pulled his hand away.

"There you go, sire," Sirius said and mock-bowed towards the open trunk.

Harry snorted and looked inside. At first he didn't see anything else than the photos in there but then a dark space at the back of the trunk caught his eye. Harry reached for it and noticed that it was a niche. About few inches wide and high.

"Gimme the cuffs," Harry said without looking at Sirius and stretched out his hand. He heard Sirius standing up and returning after a short while, placing the handcuffs to Harry's palm.

Harry put the cuffs to the space and turned around a bit to look at Sirius. "How d'you close this?"

Sirius grinned and moved so that he was sitting right behind Harry, pressing their bodies together.

"You see, you press this here-," Sirius grabbed Harry's hand and straightened one of his fingers, making it touch a spot at the back of the trunk,"- and then you're done. Simple."

The hidden space slid shut and Sirius caressed Harry's hand while burying his face to the crook in Harry's neck, licking the skin there.

"Mmmhh… What're you doing, Siri?"

"Nothing." Sirius' tone was completely innocent as he slid his hand under Harry's shirt and pinched his nipple.

"Oh! I can see that." Harry pushed himself away from the trunk and closed it. He managed to grab Sirius' hand and stop its caressing as well. "I- I told you. Not now."

"Hmm? You sure about that?" Sirius bit Harry's neck gently and pressed his body even more firmly against the teens.

"Positive," Harry gasped.

Sirius sighed and pulled away, getting up. "Your funeral," he stated and leaned in again to slap Harry's ass. "Come along, then."

"What?" Harry turned around to look at Sirius. "To where?"

"Depends what you wanna do. I'm still bored."

"There isn't that much to do in here, Sirry-Birry."

"Then we go out."

"And do what? I already told you the Daily Prophet photographers are way too eager for their own good."

"Then let's be quick."

"In doing what?" Harry asked and frowned a bit, getting up.

"We're going to see a movie."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Err, hello! We're supposed NOT to be a couple."

"So? We aren't. Just gonna see a movie."

"So not happening. Just the two of us? What if someone saw and got the wrong idea?"

"Let them." Sirius shrugged a bit, grinning smugly.

"I'm too tired to get out of the house, Sirius."

Sirius pouted. "So my company isn't enjoyable? Is that it, Sunny boy? We are offended here." Sirius staggered back and grabbed the foot of Harry's bed, leaning on it with a mock-hurt expression.

"Oh, your company is highly _enjoyable_, I can assure you. I'm just tired of the papers for a while, that's all."

"Really? And how could that be? Hmm…" Sirius looked mock-thoughtful. "Aha! Now I know. It's because your face hasn't been on the cover of Witch Weekly. I think I should contact them if it bothers you so."

Harry stuck out his tongue and rose up, walking to his door. "I think I'll go to the library… You wanna come too, Siri?"

Sirius' mouth twitched in amusement. "Sure I would like to _come_. But not the library… Nothing but books there."

"Well, that _is _the purpose of such named room, you know. To house all kinds of interesting books."

Sirius snorted. "There isn't anything interesting in _there_."

Harry laughed and opened the door, walking to the landing. "You know, you should try reading some of them. They really are interesting."

"I'd much more want to spend my time constructively, thank you very much."

"I see. And that being?"

"Tag," Sirius said with a mischievous smile before turning into Padfoot and smacking Harry's leg with his tail.

Harry laughed again. "And that's constructive?"

The only answer to his question was a short bark and Padfoot running to the top of the stairs, looking at Harry expectantly.

Harry chuckled and turned to the wolf, starting to chase Paddy down the stairs.

*_*_*

After a long while of loud and furniture-destructive chasing they ended up in the kitchen. Padfoot burst in first, jumping to the table and sending everything on it flying. The wolf wasn't far behind and they started a loud and fast chase around the kitchen. Paddy bit the wolf's ankles playfully every time he got near enough, being in the chaser's role right now. He managed to corner the wolf and jump on top of it.

Harry turned back to human, panting lightly. "Alright, Paddy. You won."

Padfoot barked triumphantly and started to sniff Harry's neck and face, making him squirm and laugh as the dog's whiskers tickled him.

"Oy!-" giggle "-stop-" snicker "-it!"

Padfoot raised his head and suddenly it was Sirius again, straddling Harry, his hands on both sides of Harry's head.

"Hoo… Giving up already, Sunny boy?" Sirius teased.

"Why don't you get off me and I'll tickle _you _to death with my whiskers," Harry said defiantly.

"Nah. You won't be able to cut it, Harrykins. Just subside to me."

"Never."

"Not so wise." Sirius pinned Harry's wrists to the floor and started to tickle him again.

Between the fits of laughter Harry was able to gasp, "Never."

Sirius stopped and peered down at Harry. "A stubborn one, are you now?"

"Wonder where I got it," Harry mock-wondered while trying to free his hands.

"Beats me, Sunny boy," Sirius said and bent his finger threateningly close to Harry's side. "Now, tell your dear Godfather that he's a God walking on Earth, if you may. Otherwise I'll just tickle you to death."

Harry smiled widely. "Sirius?"

"Yes, dear Sunny boy?"

"You're an idiot."

"So not the right answer here, Harry. Do I need to remind you that I have this very useful stick right-" Sirius grabbed his wand and tapped it to Harry's nose, "-here?"

Harry looked at Sirius wand. "So? You don't know how to use it."

Sirius grinned extremely smugly and rose a bit, pointing his wand at Harry and hitting him with a tickling-charm. Harry immediately curled up in a ball and started to laugh maniacally.

"How about taking that back, hmm?"

Harry shook his head and laughed even harder when Sirius tripled the effect of the charm.

"How about now?"

As Harry was still laughing, all he could say was "okay", "won", "god", and "earth".

"I'll pass that," Sirius said and lifted the charm. Harry was left panting on the floor where Sirius pulled him up and guided to a chair. "See? Never go against the god, Sunny boy."

Harry just snorted and reached for the water-can, intending to take a cooling glass of water. In fact, he emptied half of the can in nearly one go.

"Harry." It was Hermione.

"Yeah?"

"You haven't mentioned you're an Animagius."

"Never came up. That's what I've been practicing whole autumn, in fact."

Remus walked in to the kitchen and heard Harry's sentence.

"What never did? And practicing what?" Remus was half-way through the kitchen when he stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at Harry.

"That I'm an Animagius," Harry answered and looked at his ex-professor a bit worriedly. The man was biting his lip and his head was tilted, like he was trying to see through Harry. "Are you alright there, Remus?"

Even from where Harry was sitting he could se as Remus swallowed hard.

"Tell me, Harry. What's your Animagius form?" There was a slight edge to Remus' words that made everyone in the kitchen realize that it was more than half forced.

Harry frowned and turned to his Animagius form, walking towards Remus.

"A-a wolf…" Remus muttered and crouched down, stretching his hand towards Harry.

The wolf's ears went totally against his head and he bared his teeth, growling faintly at Remus.

"Oh dear," Sirius muttered softly.

"What? What is it, Sirius?" Hermione asked, looking from the wolf that was now looking at Remus with a clearly challenging gaze to Sirius.

"A wolf," Sirius said.

"Yes, I can see that, Sirius. Thank you very much. I meant that why's Harry acting like that?"

"Because of Remus, obviously. He's a werewolf."

Hermione frowned, clearly not fully following what Sirius was saying. "So?"

"So, they have to settle it."

"Settle what?"

"Who's the boss, of course."

"Why on Earth?"

"It's in their nature." Now it was Mr. Weasley, joining their conversation. "The wolves have a leader in their pack. When someone new appears, the hierarchy must be settled."

"But he got along so fine with Padfoot!"

"That's because we already settled it," Sirius said and reached for the wolf, nudging his side. "Come here, wolfy."

Harry turned around sharply and growled a bit before he noticed it was Sirius. He walked obediently to Sirius side and sat down, resting his head on Sirius' lap as the man scratched the wolf's ear.

"But he really is beautiful," Hermione said as her eyes glided over the wolf's cast, noting the smoky grey fur, turning black at some points and his emerald eyes that were presently looking at Hermione, like Harry was saying 'duh'.

Sirius chuckled and shifted his hand, now scratching under the wolf's muzzle. "He's okay."

"Oy! I'm _gorgeous_!" Harry said, suddenly turning back to human, and Sirius noticed that his hand was under Harry's chin, caressing his skin.

Sirius laughed and pulled his hand away. "Whatever gets you to sleep at night, Sunny boy."

Harry snorted and rolled his eyes, rising from the floor and turning to look at Remus who was quite pale.

"Are you alright, Remus?" Harry asked, worried.

"Yeah." Remus replied, his voice sounding a bit strangled. He hawked and tried again. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that the full moon is really close. The wolf's getting quite restless."

"Sorry." Harry lowered his gaze.

"No need to be, Harry." Remus said and managed a brief smile.

*_*_*

The full moon was a few days after the incident in the kitchen. Remus drank the potion that allowed him to stay sane during the transformation and locked himself in his room, vowing everyone to keep away.

"Sirius, are you sure about this?" Harry whispered as they stood in front of Remus' door. "He'll be really mad."

"No he won't," Sirius said with a smirk. "Moony loves company." With that, Sirius opened the door and they slipped inside the dimly lit room, the door locking at their wake.

Sirius turned to Padfoot and, after a while of hesitating, Harry followed his example, turning to the wolf and approaching the werewolf that was bathing on a spot of moonlight on the floor.

Padfoot went next to Moony and nudged his side. A pair of amber eyes opened and the werewolf looked at Paddy, mildly interested. His eyes sharpened when he saw Harry sitting cautiously a little distance away.

Moony stood up, his fur shimmering in the silvery moonlight, and had Harry been human, his jaw would've fallen to the ground. He'd seen Moony during his third year already, but then it'd been a small glimpse during a fear-filled moment. The werewolf looked beautiful as it bathed in the moonlight, his fur fluffy and silky and a pair of intelligent eyes looking at Harry calmly, if not slightly scolding.

Harry moved a bit closer and felt the growl welling from his throat, challenging the newest comer. Moony walked a bit closer and growled as well, stretching to his full height and hovering a few inches over Harry. The wolf pawed air in front of Moony and the werewolf answered with same caliber, nearly hitting Harry's face. They both growled and circled each other, eyeing each other, a small constant growl filling the air. Padfoot sat on the floor and scratched his ear with his back paw, not concerned in the slightest when Moony and Harry's wolf started a loud fight of hierarchy. Only after Moony had the wolf lying on the ground, biting his neck with no intention of letting go, Padfoot stood up and kicked Moony's jaws away, hovering over Harry protectively.

Moony growled and Padfoot answered, the werewolf and dog looking at each other intensely for a few seconds before Moony almost shrugged and retreated back to his spot in the moonlight. Paddy hopped next to Harry and pushed his side, telling him to stand up.

They joined Moony under the window, Paddy resting his head above the wolf's as they spent the night there, keeping the werewolf company.

*_*_*

"That could've been dangerous," Remus scolded when he returned to human. "I really could've hurt Harry."

"You didn't hurt any of us back then," Sirius said and scooped more bacon to his plate. "So why would you now?"

Remus pursed his lips and turned to look at Harry. "Sorry."

"For the bite?" Harry rubbed his neck. "It's alright. Besides-," Harry leaned closer to Remus, "- I'm quite used to them by now," he whispered quietly and smirked when Remus' ears turned red.

* * *

And there you have it.

See ya soon! *bow*


	19. Chapter 19

Aren't I fast? Two chappies in one day! I still don't feel like blabbering so go on and read!

* * *

Ron was cold towards Harry nearly through the whole week before they were meant to go back to Hogwarts. When it was the night before their return, Harry confronted him after dinner.

When Harry was passing by Ron at the kitchen door, going out, he said quietly, "I didn't mean it, y'know." He was about to continue his walking when he felt Ron's hand gripping his upper arm.

"Didn't mean what, exactly? The part where you told you were gay or the one where you came on to me?"

Nearly everyone in the kitchen gasped. They'd heard about the argument of course and knew that Ron had hit Harry but up till now they hadn't known the reason as to why.

Harry smiled briefly and tilted his head. "The part where I came on to you. I hold no interest for you in that way."

Ron let go of Harry arm and they both continued their walking. Harry walked to the living room and slumped to a sofa near the fire.

*_*_*

A few hours later Sirius entered the living room and smiled faintly when he saw Harry curled up in a ball, lying on the sofa.

"Harry?" Sirius walked next to the sofa and realised that the teen was sleeping. He smiled affectionately and crouched next to the piece of furniture, caressing Harry's cheek softly. "Sunny boy, you shouldn't be sleeping right now."

Harry just turned his head a bit and continued his sweet unconsciousness. Sirius glanced to the door and cast a quick locking charm on it before turning back to Harry and caressing his lips with the tip of his finger. Harry's mouth rose to the faintest of smiles before he opened his lips in the slightest.

Sirius continued his caressing and suddenly felt Harry's tongue licking his finger before he continued his innocent sleep.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, slightly amused.

**Lewd even in his sleep, I see. **

Sirius pressed with his finger a bit, sliding it to Harry's mouth. He played with Harry's tongue for a while before pulling his finger out and standing up. Sirius lifted Harry to his arms and unlocked the door, walking to the landing and nearly bumping into Hermione who was going upstairs as well.

Sirius cast a quick deafening charm on Harry, not wanting to wake him up.

"What-" Hermione looked from Sirius to Harry, who was presently leaning his head to Sirius' chest, nestling in his arms.

"He fell asleep," Sirius said, tilting his head towards Harry. "I thought I'd cart him to his bed. He can sleep there a bit more comfortably, I would dare to say."

Hermione smiled softly and they both started to climb up the stairs, Hermione going to her room in on the third floor and Sirius walking yet another flight of stairs. He went to Harry's room and closed the door behind him, warding it heavily. The man walked to Harry's bed and laid the sleeping beauty down carefully before going to the door again.

*_*_*

Harry woke up slowly, surprised he'd fallen asleep. His intention had only been to lay on the sofa, not to doze off on it. Harry lifted his hand up and rubbed his eyes, realizing that he apparently wasn't in the living room anymore as he couldn't hear the fire. He blinked and glanced down his body, noticing that he was practically naked; only his waist was covered with a sheet, leaving the rest of his body bare.

Sirius entered from the passageway in the wall and smirked as he saw Harry. "Awake finally, eh, Sunny boy?"

"How long was I asleep?" Harry asked, turning his head to look at Sirius. The man was leaning to a wall near his bed, arms crossed.

Sirius tilted his head. "Aa… I'd say about three hours, Sunny boy. Can't sleep at night or something?"

"Aa… Dunno. Could some anonymous person have something to do with it?" Harry said, looking mock-thoughtful. Sirius smile innocently and shrugged. "So, what's with this?" Harry asked, gesturing towards his nudity.

"Ah, that," Sirius said and waved his hand. "It's good you took a nap, Sunny boy."

"You didn't answer my question," Harry said and raised his leg up, making the blanket slip off a bit to reveal his hip. "And why exactly was it good that I took a nap?"

"Oh, no reason," Sirius pushed himself off the wall, coming to stand next to the bed. "I just thought that you might be in a grave need for a full-body massage, seeing that you'll have to study _hard _for the next months," Sirius said cheerfully and sat at the edge of the bed, caressing Harry's stomach in the slightest with his fingertips.

"Did you now?" Harry tilted his head and licked his lips.

"Oh yes. Where it leads from there, I take no responsibility at all," Sirius said, feigning innocence.

"Sure you don't," Harry said with a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah. You know, I won't be able to fuck your brains out for two weeks, so I think I'll have to 'stock' it, so to speak."

Harry smirked. "'Stock it? And only two weeks?"

"The DA meeting is in two weeks' time from the start of the new term. So I'll be visiting Hogwarts then. Although I don't know whether you wanna see me or not."

"DA?" Harry asked, shooting a questioning glare to the man who smirked..

"Dumbledore's Army. The group I tutored."

"Kinda bold name you got there. Was it you?"

"For once, no," Sirius said cheerfully. "Roll over."

Harry raised an eyebrow before turning around to lie on his stomach as Sirius came to straddle his waist.

"Oh yeah," Sirius said. "Tie your hair up or it'll get dirty."

Harry turned to look at Sirius again, seeing the small bottle on the man's hands. He reached to the nightstand and grabbed the same silky fabric that had been covering the bracelet, sliding his hands to his hair and tying it up so that not even a wisp of hair was hanging around his face.

"Happy?" Harry asked and glanced at Sirius.

"Aye. Now stay still, yeah, Sunny boy?"

"One can always try."

Sirius chuckled and applied the massaging oil to his hands, rubbing them together to make them slippery. He started with Harry's shoulders, giving them and his arms a thorough job as Harry grunted or hissed when Sirius' hands hit a tighter area before he moved to Harry's back. When Sirius' hands reached Harry's sides, the teen squirmed a bit.

"I told you to stay put," Sirius said, mock-berating, and sat even firmly atop of Harry's ass.

"It tickles," Harry whined.

"Bare with it," Sirius said and pressed with his hands more strongly, going lower and lower with each move of his hands. As his fingers were on Harry's waist-level, the teen twitched and tried to move away from Sirius' touch, making an incoherent sound.

Sirius chuckled and continued his hand-movements, sliding down Harry's body so that he was sitting on Harry's thighs. He slid his hands down and continued his massaging, his hands on both sides of Harry's ass.

Harry clutched the sheets in his hand and tried to suppress the shivers that were trying to course through his body violently every time Sirius moved his hands. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes even more firmly, trying to concentrate solely on Sirius' touch where it was presently, instead of imagining it somewhere else.

Harry gasped and shifted his legs as Sirius' fingers suddenly jumped on top of his ass and massaged it gently.

"You're doing this on purpose," Harry muttered and turned his head so that he could look at Sirius better.

"What?" Sirius asked angelically as he spread Harry's ass and caressed his entrance, making Harry gasp and squirm, trying to get away from the touch.

"Mmhhmm… That," Harry murmured.

"Ooh, _this_," Sirius said and slipped a finger inside Harry before pulling it out again, making Harry flinch and arch his back, a silent yelp escaping the younger man's lips.

Sirius chuckled and resumed his massaging, moving his hands down Harry's thighs and sliding himself towards Harry's feet as well so that he could work better. He massaged Harry's right thigh, grinning lewdly as his fingers 'accidentally' slipped near Harry's ass, making him jump again. Sirius moved his hands down Harry's leg to his ankle and then shifted to the left leg, now starting from the ankle and going up. Harry twitched slightly and made a sound as Sirius' hands were on his upper thigh. Sirius grabbed the now half-empty massaging-oil bottle and poured some of the liquid to his fingers, not too concerned about the fact that some of it dropped to the sheets as he whistled quietly. The sheets could always be cleaned. That's what magic was for.

Harry shifted his legs again and tried to hear what Sirius was doing. Just as he was about to turn his head again he felt Sirius' fingers on his ass, spreading something on it before slipping a finger inside him, making the teen twitch and press his head against the pillows as his hips rose from the mattress a few inches.

Harry felt Sirius move and then his legs were pushed apart by Sirius' knee as he came to sit between them. Sirius pressed under Harry's entrance with his thumb as he slipped a second finger in, bending them and hitting Harry's prostate almost instantly. Harry jerked like he'd gotten an electric shock and moaned to the pillows, clutching the sheets even more in his hand.

Sirius snickered and leaned to his other hand, bending over Harry's body and licking his ear.

"Gotta do a _thorough_-" Sirius thrust with his fingers, making Harry moan,"-massage, right, Sunny boy?"

Harry moaned faintly and opened his eyes in the slightest, turning so that he could look at Sirius and twitched as his movement made Sirius' fingers move as well. He reached with his hand towards Sirius' shirt and tugged it weakly, making Sirius smirk and tilt his head as he let his fingers slip out from Harry.

Harry squirmed around, his legs getting tangled with the sheets for a while before he managed to yank them away and grab the hem of Sirius' shirt. Sirius helped him to pull it off and as soon as Sirius upper body was naked, Harry all but dragged the man to lie on his back next to him, starting to kiss and bite Sirius' neck. Sirius chuckled softly and pulled Harry's face up, crushing their lips together. He flipped them around and straddled Harry's waist with a sly grin.

"Both sides, Sunny boy," Sirius said and his smirk widened as he grabbed the bottle and- leaning to his elbows, poured some of the liquid to his hands. Harry nearly hissed when some of it dropped on him before Sirius started to massage his chest, the man humming some tune quietly under his breath. He swallowed when Sirius' fingers danced over his nipples, rubbing then teasingly before falling lower, towards his stomach. Sirius didn't move from where he was sitting when his hands reached Harry's groin. He simply moved his hands and gave Harry's waist a light caress, making the teen moan and rise up, yanking Sirius head down again.

Harry moaned when Sirius' tongue darted out of his mouth and licked Harry's lips, demanding entrance. Harry opened his mouth hungrily and buried his hand to Sirius' hair as his other hand was trying to open Sirius' jeans. They rolled over again and Harry's fingers fumbled for a while before he found the buckle of Sirius' belt. Harry rose to stand on all fours and broke the kiss, panting heavily as he yanked Sirius' belt, trying to open it as quickly as possible. Sirius hand joined his and with a nifty wrist-movement the belt was open. Harry immediately lowered his fingers to the button of Sirius' pants and opened it, pulling the zipper down fast as well before grabbing the waistband of Sirius' boxers and pulling them off the man, along with the jeans and his socks. With an impatient move, Harry tossed the jeans to the floor and crawled back to Sirius. He lowered his head, taking Sirius' cock in his mouth and giving it a long suck, making Sirius gasp and grab Harry's hair in his hand as he rose to lean on his elbow.

Harry took Sirius even deeper in his mouth and gripped the sheets in his hand as Sirius moaned softly and caressed his hair in the slightest. Harry moved his head up and down, making little guttural noises as well as he listened to the sounds that Sirius was making. He felt Sirius' hand tugging his hair and lifted his head, still keeping Sirius in his mouth. Sirius slid his hand under Harry's chin and forced him to lift his head even more.

"Stop," Sirius said, slightly out of breath. "I'm so gonna come if you keep doing that."

Harry tilted his head and grabbed Sirius' hard-on in his hand, stroking it strongly. Sirius bent his head back and a sigh escaped his lips as his eyes slid half-closed again. But then he sat up and grabbed Harry's hand, removing it from around his cock and entwining their fingers as he pulled Harry's head closer until their lips nearly touched. Harry jerked his captured hand but Sirius just squeezed it and moved their hands behind Harry to his back where he pressed lightly and pulled Harry's lower body towards himself. Harry slid to Sirius lap and slipped his free arm around Sirius' neck, jerking the man forward and to the side, so that Harry was pushed against the mattress, his head against the pillows, and now it was his time to moan as Sirius kissed him and ground their hips together. Harry groaned to the kiss and squeezed Sirius' fingers even more as he wrapped his legs around Sirius' waist and pulled him down.

Sirius made a low guttural sound as he moved his hips and was met with Harry's equal thrust upwards. He disentangled his fingers from Harry's and buried both of his hands to Harry's hair that was now more than half loose from the ponytail. Sirius tilted Harry's head, making a very long attempt to shove his tongue down Harry's throat and as their lips parted, Harry's eyes were a bit glazed and a lot darker than usual.

"Inside," Harry breathed, panting heavily and digging his fingers to Sirius' back. "Now."

Sirius rose up to stand on all fours and bent his head down to bite Harry's nipple harshly.

"Roll over," Sirius groaned and Harry complied very quickly. Sirius lifted Harry's waist up and gave his ass a long lick before spreading it with his hands and thrusting his tongue inside Harry.

Harry moaned loudly and thrust his ass up, leaning his head to the pillows and bending his back. Sirius grabbed the bottle once again and emptied a fair share of it to Harry's ass, spreading the liquid with swift movements and dipping his fingers inside Harry once in a while until Harry was panting heavily and all but pleading Sirius to just hurry up and fuck him.

Sirius lowered his head again and kissed his way up Harry's spine to his neck. He grabbed Harry's waist and slipped his cock inside a few inches. Harry's back arched immediately and a small whimper poured from his lips. Sirius pulled away and then thrust back in again, a little deeper this time before retreating. Harry bent his back and pressed his upper body to the mattress as he spread his legs even more.

"Gods, Siri please…" Harry's voice was no louder than a sigh. A lusty sigh. "Quit with the… teasing."

Sirius managed a small chuckle before he thrust back inside Harry, half-way in this time before pulling out again. Harry gripped the sheets so much that his knuckles were turning white as Sirius thrust back in, only to pull out as he was almost fully inside.

Harry's head snapped up and he turned to look at Sirius, the slightest hint of annoyance evident in his eyes. "God damn it Sirius! Do I have to beg on my knees?!" Harry asked, panting heavily as his whole body shook violently.

Sirius uttered a devilish laughter before he slapped Harry's thigh gently. "You already _are_ on your knees, Harry." he remarked and leaned forward so that he could lick the side of Harry's neck as he thrust with his hips, going all the way in this time. Harry slumped against the mattress and thrust with his hips back towards Sirius who leaned to his hand while balancing himself by keeping his other hand on Harry's waist.

Harry bent his back, stretching his arms like a cat and almost purring as Sirius' cock hit his prostate at every violent thrust the other man made with his hips. He felt Sirius' hand under his chest, lifting it up, and Harry rose to stand on all fours before he grabbed the headboard of the bed, gripping it tightly in his hands. Sirius leaned closer and Harry could feel his hot mouth caressing the skin just under his neck.

"You hear that?" Sirius asked huskily, his voice gently sweeping Harry's ear. He thrust with his hips a bit more forcefully, making Harry gasp, but it didn't cover the sound of skin hitting against skin or the silent wet sound that could be heard at Sirius' each thrust. Sirius chuckled lightly. "You're dripping here too," he murmured, his voice raspy as he grabbed Harry's cock in his hand and gave it a long stroke. Harry yelped and arched his back, his hands gripping the headboard even more as he came, Sirius' hand still stroking him.

Harry heard Sirius' low chuckle next to his ear when he was capable of comprehending anything else than the pleasure coursing through his body.

"Still hard, eh?" Sirius asked and moved his hips even more, making Harry's mouth form a perfect 'O' as a loud yell was ripped from his throat. Harry leaned his head to his hand and whimpered quietly as Sirius continued his merciless torturing.

Suddenly Sirius pulled away and slipped out of Harry, making him let out a surprised sound at the sudden feeling of emptiness. Sirius turned Harry around abruptly, dragging him out of the bed. Harry's legs were so wobbly that he stumbled even when he was standing still so when Sirius pulled him towards the desk in the room Harry nearly fell over, saved only by Sirius' arm that was firmly around his waist.

As they were next to the desk, Harry suddenly had a moment of clearheadedness and he grabbed Sirius' arm. "No way."

Sirius turned to look at Harry with a lusty grin that made Harry's standing even more unsteady. "Why not?" he asked, pulling Harry towards the shining desktop.

"It'll get dirty," Harry protested weakly but didn't resist as Sirius lifted him on top of it and grabbed his waist, thrusting back in again.

Harry whimpered softly and wrapped himself around Sirius, leaning his head against Sirius' shoulder. The desk jolted against the wall at every thrust Sirius made, making Harry try to grasp his fast away flying hints of modesty.

"Stop it, Siri," Harry gasped." They'll… hear."

Sirius chuckled and thrust even harder, making Harry bite his neck, a guttural noise welling from his throat.

"Silencing charms," Sirius gasped and gripped Harry's waist more firmly. "Pretty… useful." Sirius buried his face to the crook of Harry's neck and sucked the skin there as his whole body tensed. Harry felt Sirius' cum entering his ass and clutched the man like his life depended on it as their yells entwined once again as they came at the same time.

Sirius let go of Harry and he slumped to the table as Sirius leaned his hands against the wood and panted heavily. Harry caressed his own stomach with his fingertips and felt the warm substance stick to his fingers. For some reason he was feeling extremely lascivious, and the feeling only got stronger when Sirius pulled out. Harry arched his back and sighed. His whole body twitched as he felt the cum inside him slowly pouring down towards his entrance, making him moan.

"Oh Merlin," Harry murmured and lifted his foot against the table, twitching again as the cum was now nearly dripping out. He opened his eyes and saw Sirius just a few inches away, still leaning to his hands and looking down on Harry, licking his lips. Harry reached his hands up and wrapped them around Sirius' neck, pulling him back down. He opened his mouth and licked Sirius' lips before biting the lower one. The corners of Sirius' mouth curled to a small smile before he parted his lips and let Harry slip his tongue inside.

"More…" Harry moaned as they parted their lips to breathe. Sirius chuckled lightly and grabbed Harry's head gently, pulling him up as well when Sirius straightened.

"Did you really think that I'd be satisfied with this?" Sirius asked, licking his lips again.

Harry shifted a bit and grabbed Sirius' hand in his hair. He slid it down and kissed Sirius' palm, licking his fingers. Harry's eyes met Sirius' burning gaze and he smiled extremely lewdly.

"Well I'm not," Harry breathed, taking heavy support of the desk. He bent his head and twitched, a small sigh pouring from his lips. "It's dripping out," Harry murmured, his eyes sliding half-shut. Sirius gave a small lusty laughter and grabbed Harry's cock, giving it a few strong strokes and making Harry moan.

"How many times you think you can come in one night, hmm?" Sirius asked as he leaned closer and bit Harry's ear.

Harry swallowed hard and grabbed Sirius head, licking his jaw. "Find out." Harry's voice was trembling a bit and he couldn't hold back the loud moan that came from his mouth as Sirius continued his stroking.

Sirius chuckled again and pulled Harry towards the wall near them. "Oh, I'm going to."

*_*_*

Harry woke up with a grunt. He had no idea what time it was and quite frankly he didn't even give a shit. As Harry managed to crawl into that much of consciousness that he understood even remotely anything that wasn't labelled as 'Harry's aching body', he realized that he was- for once- alone in his bed.

Harry opened his eyes slowly, waiting for the cruel attack of the sun that luckily never came. Someone had shut the curtains, leaving the room in a blissful darkness. Harry rubbed his face, trying to wake up properly as he carefully sat up on his bed, yawning deeply. He slowly made his way to the bathroom and grimaced beforehand as he turned on the lights. Luckily his head decided to act civil and not overly protest the sudden brightness. Harry walked into the shower and turned the hot water on, feeling a bit more awake as the water drops beat his face and body, gently hitting his aching body.

_And that Sirius' 'massage' was supposed to __**relieve**__ my tensions, not make more of them. Geez._

Harry smiled to himself as he leaned his hands to the wall and dangled his head, turning the water to shower even harder. He stretched his neck and persuaded himself to leave the shower before he turned into a raisin. Harry dried himself slowly and walked back to his room, glancing at his reflection as he passed the mirror. He caressed his tattoo faintly and smiled as he saw the red marks all over his body.

_A high-collar shirt once again. Shit, how the hell am I supposed to change to my pyjamas in the dorm?!_

Harry sighed and grabbed his clothes, putting them on. He saw something on the floor and picked it up, sliding the silky fabric between his fingers. As Harry realized that he'd never actually _seen_ himself with his hair in a ponytail, he walked to the mirror and tied his hair up. The result made him blink and stare at his reflection. To Harry's own eyes, he looked a bit odd as his hair wasn't framing his face, even though it still stuck out. But he didn't look half bad. His cheekbones looked a bit higher and his earring was clearly visible. Harry smiled to his reflection and played with his lip ring before turning around and walking out of the room.

The kitchen was full of people as Harry arrived.

"Aha! Long time no see, Sunny boy! Decided to grace us with your presence, now did you?" Sirius was grinning at Harry from across the room, rocking with his chair as usual.

"Ha ha," Harry said and stuck out his tongue at Sirius. "What time it is?" He asked as he walked next to Remus, stretching slightly and yawning.

"It's two thirty in the afternoon," Remus said and smiled at Harry as he sat down.

"Really? I seem to be making a habit of sleeping till the afternoon."

"So we've noticed," Hermione muttered from the other end of the table.

Harry grinned at Sirius. "You've managed to teach me _something_, eh, Sirry-Birry?"

"I wasn't aware that it was my obligation to teach _anything_ to you, Harrykins. That's what the school is for," Sirius said with a wink.

"You mean you haven't taught me anything? Then what about-" Sirius reached across the table and put his hand over Harry's mouth, quieting him.

"Shush, Harrykins!!" Sirius whispered dramatically and glanced towards Remus in mock-horror. "Not in the presence of keen ears!"

Remus raised an eyebrow but let it be.

*_*_*

Harry sighed as he checked for the last time that he indeed had everything in his trunk, instead of lying somewhere hidden in a corner of his room. Luckily they'd floo back to Hogwarts, saving him for hours and hours of sitting on the train and silently cursing his aching ass. Harry touched his trunk and shoved it to his pocket, walking out of the room once again.

Harry went to the kitchen and saw that the Weasleys, Hermione, Remus and Sirius were already there. Mrs. Weasley was presently hugging each of her kids tightly before they stepped to the floo one by one. Harry walked next to the fireplace and looked at it with a sour look.

"Can't I just stay here?" Harry asked and tugged Sirius' sleeve.

"You have to go, Harry," Remus said before Sirius even opened his mouth. "And Sirius agrees, _right_?" Remus shot Sirius a look that clearly said 'admit it or else…'

Sirius sighed. "I agree with worry-wart. Go back to Hogwarts and learn dozens of useful hexes and jinxes."

Remus rolled his eyes as Sirius winked at Harry.

"It's time for you to go, Harry dear," Mrs. Weasley said.

Harry turned around and saw that the others were gone already. He sighed again and felt Sirius' hand on his arm. Harry only had the time to half turn around when he was wrapped in a tight hug by Sirius. He automatically wrapped his arm around Sirius and leaned his head against the man's chest. Making a disgruntled sound in his mind, Harry reluctantly allowed Sirius to let go of him and push him gently towards the fireplace.

"Off you go, Sunny boy. Try to survive without me." Sirius gave Harry another wink, exaggerating greatly. Harry snorted and walked to the fireplace, missing Remus' amused glance that was pointed at Sirius, the werewolf being the only other person in the room who fully understood that sentence in its full meaning.

"Won't even be a challenge," Harry said and shot Sirius a wide smirk before throwing some floo powder to the flames, yelling 'Hogwarts, Gryffindor tower' and disappearing.

* * *

I think I might deserve something for being this fast and heaving Harry back to Hogwarts... ;)


	20. Chapter 20

Heloou!

Long time no see! I'm SO sorry it took this long, but I hope you'll be satisfied with this!

Thank you **so much**, the ones who reviewed!

I'm sorry, but I have to go and comfort Sirius now. He's sulking because he isn't in this chapter that much.

Sirius: *mutters* how dares she... I'm the protagonist of this story and have only few lines in the middle... *mumbles and emits dark clouds*

Dowash: There there, Sirius. It's quite alright. Think positively! At least you're _in_ this chapter!

Sirius: *throws a look dripping with venom towards the author* Yeah, and you made me do-

Dowash: Shh!! No spoiling!

Sirius: *grumbling with a pout* I want my Harry! I miss him! How dare you separate us!

Dowash: *wicked grin* you earned it. Think about when you'll see him again!

Sirius: And when's that? *scans the script* WHAT??!!! Then already??!! I I do THAT to him??!!! Oh my GOD! Hurry, hurry, hurry, Dowash! Put a move along!

Dowash: *chuckles* we'll see... Oh! And now that I remember! You dear readers! *_When it turns like this at some part* _it means Harry's talking in Parseltongue. And when it's written completely in _this _it's a memory.

Have fun!

* * *

It didn't surprise Harry in the slightest how people reacted at Hogwarts the next days when they saw him. Staring. Whispering. Looks that went from terrified to adoring. Harry had already gotten used to that kind of treatment from his second year so it didn't bother him. Although he was pretty close to cursing Malfoy to oblivion a few times. What satisfaction it would bring! But, alas, teachers tend to have keen eyes so Harry hadn't yet had the change.

*_*_*

Harry, Ron and Hermione walked to the grounds to their Care of Magical Creatures class. Harry hadn't seen Hagrid at all during the first days because they were both busy with their lessons and Harry'd continued his lessons with Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, meaning that his evenings had been- the least to say, eventful. With the Professors Harry'd gone to actually using Transfiguration and Charms on a duel, meaning that he'd already had that for three evenings in a row. Harry had no idea what Dumbledore was going to teach him as the first lesson had been a disaster, to use a light term. All that Dumbledore had said when Harry contacted him was to be in his office at eight o'clock sharp on Thursday. In other words? Today.

As Harry reached Hagrid's hut he had about a tenth of a second to react before something huge flung towards him.

"Harry!" Hagrid yelped from the bottom of his lungs. And as he wasn't that tiny, Hagrid's joy-filled voice nearly deafened Harry who was being tightly squeezed to the death by Hagrid's enormous arms. "Are ye 'kay?! I-"

"Hagrid," Harry managed to wheeze and tugged the gigantic man's vest.

"I was so worried about ye! They-"

"Hagrid," Hermione said firmly, managing to peel Hagrid's arms from around Harry. "You'll suffocate Harry to death and he won't be able to answer you then."

Harry staggered a few feet away from Hagrid and rubbed his sides, trying to catch his breath. His attempts were futile, though, as Fang chose this moment to run over to him over and knock him to the ground. Harry's lungs emptied from air once again as the huge dog had its front paws on his chest and tried to smother Harry with drool.

"Oy, Fang! Away!" Hagrid yelled, coming next to Harry and lifting him from the ground from his collar, making the teen's suffocation become even greater of an issue.

Harry wiped his face and crouched next to Fang again, scratching the dog behind the ear. "Hi, Hagrid," he said as soon as he'd catched his breath again. "And yes, I'm okay."

Hagrid smiled with all his face but didn't have the time to answer as the rest of the class arrived.

The Slytherins were complaining about something, Malfoy in the front of course. Harry was about to listen to what it was this time when he heard a soft sound from the border of The Forbidden Forest. Harry blinked and turned around, seeing nothing. He returned his attention to the quarrel but then he heard it again. A silent noise, not louder than a breath. Harry turned around and walked towards the Forest, hearing Hermione calling for him. Harry waved her quiet and resumed his listening, straining his hearing to hear the faint sound.

_There._

Harry turned a bit to his right and followed the tree line a few feet before he located the origin of the sound. He crouched down and removed some of the leaves, revealing a tiny snake that was hissing desperately.

*_Mother! Mother! Where…*_

*_What is it, little one?*_ Harry asked softly, making the baby-snake's head snap up.

*_Who is…that?*_

*_Are you okay, little one?*_ Harry asked, his eyes sweeping over the tiny body seeing a large wound, stretching from the snake's head to the tail.

*_Eyes… My eyes… Too bright…*_

Harry reached to the hem of his shirt, pulling it out from his pants and ripped a small shred from it. He tied it around the snake's eyes, caressing its back softly. *_Better now, little one? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be still sleeping?_* Judging by the size of the snake, it couldn't be more that a few days old. And snakes slept in the winter.

*_Should be… Attacked… Our nest was attacked.*_

*_Were there others?*_

*_Dead!_* the snake almost wailed. *_They're all dead!*_

*_Sorry_.*

*_Why would you be sorry_?* the snake sounded surprised.

*_Do you want to come with me? I can take care of you until you're better_.*

*_Why would you do that, human? I don't need your sympathy!*_

*_It is not sympathy_.* Harry reached for his wand and healed the snake's wound. He let his finger be near the snake, nearly touching it.

The snake turned his head and its tongue darted out as it tasted the air around Harry's fingers before sliding to his palm. It was so tiny that if it curled a bit, it fit perfectly to Harry's palm. _*I'm hungry.*_

Harry chuckled and stood up, turning around. He blinked a bit at seeing the whole Care of Magical Creatures class standing right in front of him.

*_What do you want to eat?*_ Harry turned his gaze to the snake and tilted his head.

*_Meat. I want meat_.*

*_Any matter what kind of?*_

*_Not really_.*

Harry turned to look at Hagrid who was standing a bit to his right. "Hagrid." More than a few of the students flinched when he spoke as his voice was soft and it held the slightest hissing to it. "Do you have any meat? The snake wants to eat."

"What kind o' meat, Harry?" Hagrid asked.

"It doesn't matter. Just as long as it's raw."

Hagrid beckoned Harry to follow him and they entered his hut, Harry sitting down and placing the snake to rest on the table.

*_You'll get food soon, little snake,*_ Harry said and looked around the hut. Hagrid was still rummaging through his shelves to find something edible.

Harry jumped slightly when the snake bit his fingers not so gently. *_What, little one_?*

*_Hungry_,* the snake stated. *_I need food.*_

*_Just wait a sec, okay? You'll get your food soon enough_.*

Hagrid appeared next to Harry and handed him some meat he'd found from the cabinets. "There ye go, Harry. Stay here as long as ye like."

"Sorry, Hagrid," Harry said and looked up to the gigantic man. "I ruined your lesson."

"Nah." Hagrid waved his waste bin-lid sized hand dismissively. "Doesn't ma'er. You'll have a very tutoring lesson right here." Hagrid winked. "Come and get me if ye need anythin' else."

"Thanks, Hagrid," Harry murmured and started to feed the now quite irritable little snake.

The snake managed to keep Harry extremely busy for the rest of the day. It ate every twenty minutes and otherwise laid around Harry's neck like a caricature of a necklace. When it was time for Harry to go to Dumbledore's office, the snake had luckily fallen asleep. Harry'd instructed it to stay on his bed where there was a heating-charm and some meat and milk, should the snake wake up hungry.

Harry walked to the Headmasters office after giving the stony gargoyle the password. 'Fazer's milk-chocolate'.

_Where the heck has he tasted that?!_

Harry shook his head as he knocked on Dumbledore's door and entered after the soft 'come in'.

"Ah, Harry." Dumbledore smiled benevolently behind his desk, his eyes twinkling madly. "How's your week been? Rubeus informed me just a while ago that you saved a little snake from the Forest today."

"Yeah, well… I…" Harry felt a bit embarrassed and shifted his legs uncomfortably, his last encounter with the Headmaster still vivid in his mind.

"A lemon drop?" Dumbledore offered Harry a tray of yellow candies, looking extremely serene.

"Thanks, professor," Harry muttered and grabbed the sweet from the tray.

"Sit down, Harry. Now, today we'll start with your wandless magic. Do you know anything about it?"

"Err…" Harry sat down. "You don't need a wand to cast a spell?" Harry smiled sheepishly and looked up at Dumbledore.

"Indeed," Dumbledore said and smiled. "That's the idea of it. However-" Dumbledore lifted a finger to emphasize his words,"- it requires a great deal of magical capacity and self-control."

"Why, Professor? Isn't it the same as to do it with your wand?"

"Not exactly, Harry. You see, when you use your wand, you're already channeling your powers through it. It changes the form of your magic in the slightest. Not significantly, but still. But when you do it without the adapter, your magic is more pure, more powerful."

"Then why do people even use wands, then? Why doesn't everyone just use wandless magic, Professor?"

"Because," Dumbledore said and smiled at Harry again, " the magic is wilder if you don't use anything to channel it. Should it go berserk, the consequences would be… severe. That's why someone who uses wandless magic needs to have a firm control over his or her powers. Otherwise they'll just burn themselves."

"Literally or figuratively, Professor?" Harry frowned a bit. Clearly wandless magic was something extremely advanced so it bothered him why they would be talking about him trying to do it in the first place.

"Quite literally, Harry." Dumledore said, his voice grave. "If you let the magic control you, instead of the other way around, it will consume you until there's nothing left. There are a few exceptions, of course."

"Exceptions, sir?"

"We'll talk about that later, Harry. Now I want to hear have you ever done wandless magic."

"Me? No! Of course not!"

"Think this thoroughly, Harry. Have you?"

Harry frowned and racked his brain, trying to remember if he'd ever done magic without his wand. "Well," he said slowly. "I made the glass disappear when I was ten. And I turned my teacher's wig blue once."

"Very good. Anything else?" Dumbledore peered at Harry over his half-moon spectacles.

"But that was just some random stuff! I've heard that every Wizadring-kid does unintentional magic before they get their wand!"

"That's exactly my point here, Harry. Before children get their wands, they channel their magic without it. When the wand enters the picture, they usually forget what it felt like to do magic without it and become dependent."

"But why're they unaffected, then? You just said so yourself, Professor. That wandless magic requires self-control. And I certainly lacked that. And still do."

"It comes naturally for them, Harry. The children are unaware that magic can be done with wands, even though they see their parents doing it."

"But-"

"No buts, Harry. That's how it is." Dumbledore smiled and pointed towards the teen. "And now we start a small experiment. Can you recall what you felt like when you made the glass disappear?"

"It was five years ago, Professor," Harry said.

"Yes, Harry, I can count." Dumbledore smiled benevolently again. "But still, try to remember."

Harry sighed inwardly and closed his eyes, trying to bring back the memories from that day. "Hate," he said slowly." Dudley pushed me to the ground." Harry tilted his head and frowned. "Sadness. The snake I talked to had never seen its homeland or parents, like me. Anger. I wanted to help the snake."

Suddenly Harry felt a tiny gush go through his body, a crack appearing on a goblet on the table between them. Harry opened his eyes surprised and looked at the Headmaster who was smiling, his eyes twinkling madly again.

"See?" Dumbledore asked cheerfully.

"What just happened?" Harry asked and frowned at the goblet. "Why did that crack, Professor?"

"Our magic is connected to our feelings. Remember the time you pumped your Aunt full of air? Or the time when I visited you before the Christmas Holidays and all the glass fragmented? All resulting from your emotions, Harry."

"You mean I'm a walking bomb or something?" Harry looked terrified and Dumbledore immediately hasted to correct his words.

"Not at all, my dear boy! Not in the slightest! I merely meant that whatever the feeling, our magic mirrors it. For example, if you had charms and Professor Flitwick asked you to do Hilarity Charms when you're feeling extremely irritable. What would the chances be that you'll succeed?"

"Pretty low, I guess, Professor," Harry shrugged.

"Exactly my point, Harry. Now, I want you to summon that book from the shelf without your wand." Dumbledore pointed towards a thick book near Fawkes.

Harry turned around and- feeling a bit stupid- raised his hand, yelling "Accio book!"

Instead of just the one book coming to Harry, at least a dozen more jumped from their shelves and glided towards Harry before falling to the ground mid-way.

Harry turned to face Dumbledore again and blinked when he saw the Headmaster grinning widely.

"Very good, Harry. Indeed, very good."

"What d'you mean, Professor? They stopped halfway."

"But that's not nearly the essential part of this little experiment of ours," Dumbledore said, looking suspiciously pleased. "The point was to show you that you indeed can do wandless magic."

Harry looked a bit stupefied.

"Tell me, Harry. Did it feel different to you?"

"Using the 'Accio', Professor?" When Dumbledore nodded, Harry bit his lip, going over what'd just happened, "A bit," he admitted.

"In what way?"

Harry frowned. "I can't really say, Professor. It was harder but somehow simpler at the same time. I don't know how to explain it."

But Dumbledore was nodding like he understood completely. "Good. Now I'd like to talk to you about your lessons here on out. You won't need your wand during these hours, although I advise you to keep it with you. Tomorrow night we'll start on your Rune-lessons as well."

Harry opened his mouth but closed it quickly again, not sure if he should ask.

"Yes, Harry?"

"What about the Ancient Magic lessons, Professor? You said that I'd learn it as well."

"Indeed I did. But you'll understand it better if you have the basics of the Runes in your head."

"I see." Harry lowered his gaze to his lap.

"Now." Dumbledore's voice made Harry lift his head again. "There's a great deal about wandless magic in the library, some of the books in the Restricted Section. I'll inform Madam Pince that you're allowed to go there to collect some books if necessary."

Harry nodded. "Professor?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"You said, at the start of the term, that I'd be learning silent magic," Harry murmured.

"Yes."

"Then when will I be learning that, Professor?"

"Along with your wandless magic, Harry. Although silent magic is something you can practice all the time when not in here."

"With my wand, right, Professor?"

"Yes." Dumbledore smiled. "With your wand for now."

Harry nodded again and stifled a yawn.

Dumbledore glanced at the clock. "Time for you to go back to your Common room, Harry. I'll meet you tomorrow evening at seven o'clock. Is that okay with you?"

"Perfectly okay, Headmaster," Harry said and rose from his chair. "Good night, Professor."

"Good night, my dear boy."

Harry had nearly exited the room when he remembered something that had been bothering him for a while now. He stopped when he was halfway out of the room and slipped to his meditation for a second or two, enough for him to see Dumbledore like that.

"Something the matter, Harry?" Dumbledore's worried voice called and he could hear the wizard standing up.

Harry returned to 'reality' and turned around, tilting his head. "I have been meaning to ask you, Professor," he announced. "Why are you light blue?"

"I beg your pardon?" Dumbledore asked, raising his eyebrow as he walked towards Harry.

"Around you," Harry replied. "Like a cloud or something. When I'm meditating, I can see it. The colors around people. Sirius is dark-blue, you're light blue, Remus is turquoise. What is it, Professor?"

Dumbledore looked at Harry for a while before he answered. "How long have you been seeing them, Harry?"

"Since I was… in there," Harry answered, his hand twitching in the slightest.

"Close the door, now will you," Dumbledore said quietly. "How far can you see?"

"I could see the other prisoners in there, through the walls. I haven't tried it that much when I returned, I just…," Harry shrugged faintly. "I wanted to know what it is, Professor."

"Nothing sinister, I can assure you," Dumbledore said. "The colors you see are people's magic, that's all. It is possible to be able to see them while meditating. You might want to try it sometimes in your dorm. See how far it goes. The magic in this castle is magnificent to look at."

"You've tried it, Professor?" Harry asked, relieved that this wasn't something abnormal.

"A few times," Dumbledore admitted. "It is greatly calming, as meditating is supposed to be."

"Then what about…" Harry trailed off, not sure how to ask.

"Yes, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, smiling benevolently.

"You see, Professor," Harry said, his gaze dropping to the floor. "There's this something… in my head… I can nearly see it when I meditate. It… it just feels so serene and… and peaceful and…"

"Ahh, that," Dumbledore said, his smile widening. "Yes, that is indeed your own magic. And I'd advice you to look into it as thoroughly as possible. You can learn a lot about yourself from there."

"I… I see," Harry muttered. "Thanks, Professor."

"You're welcome, dear boy," Dumbledore said. "Good night, then."

"Good night," Harry answered before exiting the room.

Harry walked through the half-empty corridors, enjoying the semi quietness before he reached the Gryffindor Common Room.

Fred and George had apparently invented something new as there was a huge crowd around them, cheering and whistling as Fred ate something, started to vomit, ate something else and the puking stopped immediately. Harry raised an eyebrow and walked to where Ron and Hermione had sprawled out their books in an attempt to do their homework.

"What's up?" Harry asked as he slumped to a chair next to Hermione.

"Oh hi, Harry," Hermione said absentmindedly and scratched her nose with the tip of her quill. "Not much."

"Not much?" Harry raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Ron. "Is she okay?"

"I don't think so, mate. She hasn't snapped at the twins for an hour already, and they're becoming louder by the second." Ron grinned and turned to look at his brothers.

"What're they doing?" Harry asked.

"Not sure, actually," Ron said cheerfully. "But they seem to be getting money from it, look."

And true enough. Lee Jordan was walking amongst the crowd and taking donations to a hat he held in his hands.

"Well, I'll go grab my stuff and join you," Harry said and rose from his chair, stretching.

"Sure. See you in a sec." Rom sounded a bit far away as well but the fact that he was openly staring Hermione might've had something to do with it. Harry chuckled and jumped the stairs up to the dorm, opening the door.

The snake was still lying on his bed, looking quite content at the present moment. It opened one eye as Harry came next to the bed.

*_So you're back, human.*_

*_I have a name_,* Harry pointed out as he rummaged through his trunk to find the books he needed.

_*I'm sure of that_,* the snake said and sounded a bit amused. *_But as long as you call me 'snake', I call you 'human'.*_

*_What d'you want me to call you, then?*_ Harry asked as he sat onto the edge of the bed and leaned his head to his hand, looking at the snake. *_And I wasn't even aware that you had names in the first place*_

*_Oh, we do have names. My mother just didn't have the time to name us_.*

*_Does it matter what kind of a name it is?*_

_*If I like it, then it doesn't.*_

_*Any suggestions, then?*_

_*I'll leave the thinking to you, human.*_With that, the snake closed his eye and apparently started to sleep again.

Harry chuckled lightly before collecting his things and walking down the stairs to the common room. Actually he was pretty surprised how fast Ron had gone back to normal after an extremely loud and revealing argument in front of their dorm-mates just a few days ago.

**Flashback**

"I'm not going to apologize to him!!"

Harry raised an eyebrow and halted, deciding against of going to their dorm when he heard Ron's voice. He was pretty sure who Ron meant, after all.

"Ron, he's your best friend, for crying out loud!" Hermione said coldly. "You can't be so petty to end it all because of something like this!"

Harry heard the other boys living in the dorm coming behind him and turned half-around to put a finger to his lips. Their eyes widened but they stayed quiet, allowing Harry to hear.

"But he fucking came on to me, Hermione!" Ron shouted. Harry heard footsteps and had a fairly good idea which one of the two in the dorm was pacing around. He could nearly see Ron's face even though they had a closed door between them. He just looked the same every single time he was angry.

"He said he didn't mean it, Ron," Hermione snapped. "And don't you think he might've acted a bit differently towards you if he had a thing for you? For Merlin's sake, I'm sure he's seen you practically naked for a hundred times! You boys aren't that sensitive or at least that's what I've gathered so far!"

"Do you have to remind me about that?!" Ron shouted. "It just makes chills run down my spine!"

Harry bit his lip and leaned to the wall near the door, intending to let them speak so that he could just get to know what Ron honestly thought.

"For heavens sake, Ron!" Hermione yelled. "Do you have to be so old-fashioned and narrow-minded?!! It's not so rare to be gay!"

"Have you ever actually_ seen_ anyone gay?!" Ron questioned loudly, and by the sound of it he kicked something.

"They're not some animals in a cage you can go and stare at so no!" Hermione yelled. "And it's because of people like you that they decide to stay hidden! You're just so narrow-minded you can't accept anything even remotely off the wall!"

"And you're okay with it?" Ron shouted. "But I guess it's okay with you! You're a girl so Harry'll have no interest in you anyway!"

Harry saw from the corner of his eye when it clicked in his dorm-mates' eyes and they realized who exactly it was Ron and Hermione were having the argument about.

"He wouldn't have his interest in me anyway!!" Hermione nearly shrieked. "I'm his friend, Ronald Weasley! And that means I'm there for him even though he came out and told us he was gay! And that's what you should do as well, if you dare to call yourself his friend! He needs our support, you ass! Don't you understand that precisely because of the fact you're his best friend and a bloke he didn't want to tell you?!! I'm betting he knew you'd react like this even though it has nothing to do with you! You threw a fit every time he messed around with Sirius like it was a federal crime to joke about the fact everyone thinks they're sleeping together!!"

Gasps erupted behind Harry but he just raised his eyebrow, tilting his head to hear.

"But don't you think it's just weird?!" Ron nearly shrieked and started to pace again. "Every time we saw them they were together and every time there was an article in the Prophet about them they were nearly fondling each other afterwards like there was nothing wrong with it!!"

"And Harry yelled at you it was their way of dealing with it!!" Hermione shouted. "What do you think would happen if they took it seriously??!! They wouldn't be able to do anything or go anywhere because there would always be the possibility it got misunderstood! All they do just makes it easier for themselves! The Prophet is a shitty magazine that makes stuff up out of nowhere and Harry and Sirius were good victims because everyone in the fucking country knows who they are! And because they're generally just so glued together it was even easier!!" Suddenly Hermione's voice dropped until she was nearly whispering. "Can you not understand, Ronald Weasley? Sirius is the only family Harry has got anymore. What do you think it would do to him if he lost that? Have you not seen how happy he has been?"

Hermione's words were followed with a dead silence before a heel clacked to the floor and the girl spoke again, but this time her voice was seeping icicles. "Oh, I get it now. All of this has nothing to do with the fact Harry is gay. No. It's just you again. Harry's in the papers every other day, getting more and more publicity. He spends his time with his Godfather who understands him, instead of his friends, who reject him right on when he tells something that concerns him deeply. You are _jealous_, Ronald Weasley. You just can't take it he's known everywhere when his friends are like wall decorations."

"It… it's not like that," Ron, muttered, shifting his legs.

"Then why won't you apologize to him?!" Hermione nearly hissed. "Would you rather have his best friend hating him because of something he can't do anything about? Have you ever asked if he enjoy being on the front cover at least thrice a week? No, you just _assumed_ he does because it doesn't seem to bother him in the slightest. You didn't even bother using that _pitiful loaf_ in your excuse of a head to even consider the possibility it just might make him uncomfortable. No, you just assumed, because he's _the_ Harry Potter- who's in the cover of a magazine anyway, no matter what he does he never gets uncomfortable. I despise you right now, Ronald Weasley!"

Harry heard Hermione stomping through the dorm and took a step to the side when the door opened. Hermione's blazing eyes widened and she halted in mid-step, her mouth falling open when he saw the people just in front of the dorm. "H-Harry," she sputtered, making Ron turn around as well.

"You know, you should ward the room if you wish not to be overheard," Harry said as he walked into the room.

"Oh my gods, how much did you hear?" Hermione asked, forgetting she had been leaving and coming back inside the room, placing her hand on Harry's shoulder.

"From the point when Ron said he won't apologize to me," Harry replied, opening his trunk and starting to dig the contents even though he didn't want anything from there. "You're too loud for your own good."

A silence followed Harry's words before he quitted his rummaging, straightening and turning to look at Ron. "I can ask McGonagall to get me a room somewhere else in the castle," he said evenly. "If you can't stand me even that near, I'll go and live with Hagrid. I just hope you'll stand my disgusting presence during the lessons without puking."

Ron twitched and looked to the floor, hunching his shoulders while his ears burned red. "You don't have to go… that far," he muttered, shifting his legs.

"Good," Harry replied, flopping down to his bed. "I'll just stay away from you, then."

Ron shifted uncomfortably again before he glanced at Harry, returning his gaze to the floor immediately. The others in the dorm caught the hint and left silently, leaving Harry and Ron alone.

"Are you really jealous?" Harry asked, staring to the ceiling. "'cause I can trade places with you any time. Personally I don't like seeing my face on every surface all the time."

Ron moved and went to his own bed, sitting down and leaning his head to his hands. "It's because how you act," he muttered, talking to his knees. He slid his hands to his hair, making it stick out. "It's like everything is just a big fucking joke that has nothing to do with you. Do you know what it felt like when you were carted to Azkaban? I saw you, Harry. And you didn't look sane. What did it say about you when you laughed the whole way down? I was so scared, you looked like you'd completely lost it and I'd just seen you like five hours ago. The change was just so great I couldn't even believe my eyes. Then Sirius came and you finally shut up, only to be dragged away." Ron drew a breath and continued, talking to a spot to the floor because he didn't want to look Harry in the eye.

"I thought you were gone for good, I really did. No-one believed McGonagall when she gave the statement about why Dumbledore was away and you were in the Hell hole. She assured it was just a misunderstanding that would be cleared as soon as possible. Just like that. A simple misunderstanding. And because of that my best friend was in a prison filled with Dementors and despair. I knew you were strong but I doubted how anyone would be able to come out of there sane. I could see what Sirius looked like when you were in there and I remember thinking 'what if the Prophet's right, after all?' It made no sense back then but then you came back and Sirius got you to live with him. I heard every single day what everyone said about it. You weren't even allowed to see anyone during the first weeks. Hermione yelled at Madam Pomfrey because of it, demanding to know why exactly Sirius was allowed to be there for you and we weren't."

"We were told it was because Sirius knew. That he could help you and make you talk and make you realize you weren't in Hell anymore. Then the Christmas holidays came and Sirius dragged you away from us again, just when I'd thought I could finally spend some time with you. Because I realized shortly after the term had started I practically didn't know you anymore. Even in the summer you were nearly glued together with Sirius and you did your crazy stuff and got in the Paper. Even when it was your interrogation you went with Sirius."

"I told him not to come," Harry put in quietly. "I said I could go alone but he wanted to come with me."

"Yeah, whatever," Ron muttered. "It's just that I really felt like I didn't know you anymore. Like you changed and somehow moved on and pushed me and Hermione off the train without even asking. Then just before you told us, I decided I'd confront you and make you realize we hadn't gone anywhere. I saw the Paper before you came and somehow I just couldn't take it anymore. I admit that partly it had nothing to do with the fact you told you were gay but back then I could just think about the article. You didn't ever even read them, did you?"

"The first one," Harry replied. "Sirius read a part of it out loud and I just didn't feel like reading it through because it wasn't true."

"My mom nearly got a heart-attack when she read it," Ron said quietly. "She jumped up and started screaming and dad had to bring her a drink to get her to calm down. Even then we nearly had to hold her down to prevent her from grabbing a knife and coming to murder Sirius where he stood. Dumbledore came and announced that he wanted to talk to my parents and in the end we heard we'd be moving to live in Grimmauld Place with you and that all that the Prophet had written was a lie. Dumbledore said he'd asked straight from you and when you had recovered from the laughing you'd assured it was bullshit."

Harry chuckled in his mind but let Ron continue. It sounded like the teen had wanted to say this for a long time.

"We believed Dumbledore, of course, but you gotta admit, Harry, you weren't exactly acting innocent either," Ron said quietly.

"Well, umm, sorry, I guess," Harry said. "We lived by ourselves and I guess we're generally pretty affectionate."

"We noticed, but we just brushed it with the fact you were close," Ron replied. "But you can't imagine how shocked I was with your act in the kitchen. I was getting used to all of your touching by then but then you went and nearly kissed. Never mind the fact it was an act, but the first feeling I got was disgust. I just saw red and honestly I can't remember half the things I said to you. All I intended was to make you realize we were still your friends but I guess it came out the wrong way."

"I never forgot you were my friends," Harry said quietly, sitting up on the bed. "I just needed someone who understands it all without me having to explain it the hard way. And Sirius was perfect for that. Do you realize how hard it was to understand he wasn't just going to fade away and I'd wake up in my cell again with a despair that was killing me? How wonderful it was that he just sat there with me or fondled my hair or held my hand?"

"I can't understand that," Ron murmured. "I can't connect that to Sirius because that's so not what he was like when I hit you."

"Oh, really?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He's fucking insane, Harry!" Ron shouted out of the blue, standing up again as he waved his hands. "He would've shoved me through the window if Hermione hadn't stopped him!"

"I doubt that," Harry said calmly.

"Fucking hell, of course you doubt that!" Ron snapped sarcastically. "It's because he's all like a puppy with you! You can't see he's really dangerous!!"

Harry raised a sarcastic eyebrow and Ron snorted, jerking his head. "Come with me, Golden boy," he said.

"Suddenly I'm the Golden boy?" Harry asked, standing up again.

"Just come along unless you're afraid your perfect image of your perfect godfather will shatter," Ron said, turning around. Harry followed him out of the dorm and to the corridors, all the way to the seventh floor. "Hold on for a sec," Ron said, pacing in front of a wall three times under Harry's wide eyes before a door appeared and he yanked the teen inside with him to a room full of smaller and larger containers swirling with something that wasn't liquid or gas. Harry'd just figured the room was full of Pensieves when Ron had put his wand against his temple, gathering the liquid/gas to the tip of it before dropping it to a medium-sized Pensieve and yanking Harry closer, making his face touch the surface. The floor shook under Harry's legs, tossing him to the whirl of sound and images before he sank into the memory.

_The door slammed shut and Sirius turned around, walking next to the armchair Ron had slumped into panting heavily. Sirius leaned to the backrest and arm of the chair, hovering over Ron._

"_Explain," Sirius said, his voice even but his eyes were shooting ice to the teen sitting on the chair._

"_He fucking deserved it," Ron said loudly, defiance coloring his entire form when he looked up to Sirius._

"_Hoo…" Sirius said, tilting his head. "Did he now? You have a habit of hitting your friends because you argue with them?"_

"_He fucking came on to me!" Ron shouted, trying to stand up. Sirius smirked and pushed the teen back down._

"_He did? So he told you, is that it?"_

"_So you knew he was gay?!" Ron asked incredulously, his eyes widening._

_Sirius' smirk widened and he raised an eyebrow. "Of course I knew," he said, straightening and sliding a hand through his hair before he glanced down at Ron with a mean look. "But unlike some, I didn't hit him."_

"_HE CAME ON TO ME!!" Ron shouted, now standing up. "How would you react to something like that, huh?!!"_

"_Me?" Sirius asked with a chuckle, even though there was nothing funny in the vicinity. "Who knows? Hitting might not be the top-priority, though. I have some intellect, after all."_

"_Why do you even care?!" Ron shouted, taking a step closer and clearly not noticing he was nearly copying Harry's words. "It's none of you fucking business!!"_

"'_Why'?" Sirius asked, looking at Ron for a second or two before his eyes froze up even more and he took a step closer, grabbing Ron's collar and yanking him closer. "And it's very much my business, just so you know. In case you were wondering, Harry's well-being is my top-priority. To protect him from bullshit-sprouting little shits like you who don't understand a thing, I don't think I care just what I do to you."_

_Ron's eyes widened and he tried to yank Sirius' hand away. "You're threatening me?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even but it shook in the slightest when he saw the look in Sirius' eyes._

"_I wasn't being clear enough?" Sirius inquired. He took a side-step and yanked Ron along, flinging the teen against the bookcase and keeping his arm on Ron's throat while he took out his wand. "I'll use common language so that a shit like you understands, then," Sirius hissed, a cold smile etched on his face. "If you touch Harry ever again or even remotely hurt him in any way, I assure you even that hag of a mother of yours won't recognize your pretty face when I'm done." Sirius smiled extremely menacingly. "If they even find your body, that is," he said nearly in passing._

_Ron's eyes widened and he tried to push Sirius away, kicking the man with his legs. "You're insane!" he shouted. "You'll never get away with it, they'll lock you to Azkaban if you kill me!"_

"_You think?" Sirius asked, tilting his head as his smile widened. "I wouldn't be too sure, Ronny-boy. You could've always gone missing or faced a pack of Death Eaters bravely. You might even get a medal for it…" The man chuckled coldly before he let go, taking a step back and letting Ron fall to the ground, coughing and gulping for air. "Do we have a mutual understanding or do I have to bang your head to the window for a while?" Sirius asked, tossing his wand to the air with a relaxed figure._

"_You fucking insane bastard," Ron wheezed between his coughs and Sirius tilted his head again before crouching down and grabbing Ron's collar again, neglecting Hermione's protests as he dragged the teen to the now open window and flung him out, leaning to the frame of the window as he squeezed Ron's throat._

"_My grip might accidentally loosen here," Sirius said with a mean smirk. "You won't die if you fall from this height but you won't like it that much either, you know…"_

"_Sirius, stop it already!" Hermione shrieked, coming between the two and placing her hand on Sirius' arm. "He got your point, now let go before something actually happens!"_

_Sirius chuckled. "I think I might want to hear a few words before that," he said. "It starts with an 'I' and if I don't hear it in ten seconds, you go flying down, dear Weasel."_

"_Sirius!" Hermione exclaimed. "Come on, they can arrest you for something like that! Just get Ron back inside! Do you want Harry to be all alone again?!!"_

_Sirius turned to look at Hermione briefly before he sighed, pulling Ron back inside. "Your bright girlfriend has a point there, Ronald," Sirius said mockingly, letting Ron flop to the floor. "Maybe I should just break a few of your bones?"_

"_Sirius, please, stop it!" Hermione pleaded, tugging the man's arm. "Ron will apologize, won't you Ron?" the girl said, kneeling down and grabbing Ron's arm._

_Ron clutched his throat and fought for air, gasping out the word 'sorry'._

"_Oh, I couldn't hear you properly," Sirius said and nudged Ron's side with his foot, crossing his arms. "Try to be a bit more clear, now won't you?"_

_Ron drew a deep breath, apologies falling from his lips with every exhale until Remus came in, halting before grabbing Sirius' arm and yanking him along, out of the room._

Harry felt being sucked away and he landed to the floor again, straightening and turning to look at Ron. The teen was looking at him with a nearly expectant look, but Harry just could say anything. He swallowed and blinked before turning around and exiting the room, slamming the door shut at his wake.

Harry nearly ran to an empty classroom and locked the door, warding the area before he sat on the nearest desk and drew a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts. He sat there for a long while before finally steeling himself and muttering the activation word.

"Yeah? What is it?"

Harry swallowed and he had to try a few times to find his voice. "Hey, Remus," he muttered, noticing how out-of-breath he sounded like.

"Harry? Something the matter?"

"Well, umm…" Harry was glad his ex-professor couldn't see his squirming and he decided there and then not to ask for a hologram of the man. He couldn't do this if he saw the man. Figuratively speaking, of course. Not like he could actually see Remus. "I… are you alone?"

"Yeah, just me. What is it? You sound a bit odd."

"Really? I don't think so… Well… umm, how are you Remus?"

Remus answered after a small pause and Harry was more than half sure the man had raised his eyebrows. "Okay, Harry, what is it? Don't do Sirius' act on me, he always asks how I am when he needs to talk about something. Just blurt in out blatantly."

"Sirius does that?" Harry asked, glad he hadn't had to bring the man up in the conversation himself.

"He does that," Remus said. "Now, what is it? I wasn't expecting to hear from you this soon."

"Well… umm…" Harry wrung his robes in his hands, not knowing how to put his question when he didn't quite even know what it was he wanted to ask. His chest tightened and he tried to take a calming breath.

"Harry, you can tell me anything, okay?" Remus sounded a bit worried and before Harry even knew it, he was pouring everything out. He talked fast and explained everything of the day, not even sure if the werewolf could keep up with his explanation. When he was done after what felt like two seconds, Remus stayed quiet for a good while.

"Can I use the hologram?" the werewolf asked and Harry twitched.

"If you have to," Harry muttered. Remus appeared before him after a few seconds, a bit transparent but all the more there.

"I'm not quite sure what I should say here," Remus said apologetically, looking at Harry's tiny form. The teen sat on a desk with his knees against his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around his legs.

"I don't know what I want you to say," Harry muttered, leaned his head to his knees.

"Sirius…" Remus started, rubbing the back of his his neck with a sigh. "Well. To tell you the blatant truth, I've seen him snap- and I mean really snap, just a few times in my life. And I'm not lying when I say I'm sincerely glad I'm still here to witness the day. It honestly isn't pretty for anyone when that guy loses it for real, I can tell you that. What you saw with Ron… Sirius wasn't even being very serious, if you'll endure my pun. It was just more like biting Ron's ankles, to be precise. Or so I gathered from your story. If Sirius had wanted he could've done something extremely nasty and I'm sure the house would've helped him readily."

"The house?" Harry asked, raising his head with wide eyes. "What d'you mean it would've 'helped him readily'?"

"The house is a bit… crooked, I think," Remus said, folding his arms. "It has nothing to do with Sirius, actually. Only his blood and heritage, the Black-thing and all. Ask him, if you want to know. Anyway, Sirius let Ron go real easy. But that's not your main problem, is it, Harry?"

"Well… umm… no," Harry admitted, sliding his legs down and swinging them uncomfortably. "I just… err… I don't even know, actually." He offered Remus a weak smile. "I mean, I guess what Ron said was right…"

"What did he say?" Remus asked, tilting his head.

"Well… that Sirius is just acting all like a puppy with me and that I don't know how dangerous he is…" Harry said, looking to the floor.

Remus chuckled lightly, making Harry look up and see the werewolf smirking widely. "Of course he's like a puppy with you," he said, still chuckling. "That's because you have him neatly wrapped around your finger. Not to mention he seems to think nothing else exists rather than you. You know, you've been away for just a few days and he's nearly climbing up the walls here. And making me crazy along the way. He just won't stop talking. I can't understand how you endured his mouth while it was just the two of you here."

Harry smirked widely and rubbed his chin. "I think I gave it something more fun to do than prattle," he said, looking at Remus. "Wow! I didn't now holograms can blush!" he exclaimed, hopping down the desk and taking a step closer.

Remus coughed once and shifted his legs. "So, feeling better?" he asked.

"Yeah, I hope so," Harry said with a shrug. "Thanks, though. You know, for letting me talk. Where are you, by the way?"

"I locked myself to my room after kicking Sirius to the backyard," Remus said with a grin. "I think he needs something to do."

"Sure," Harry replied before the connection was cut and he sighed in relief, opening the door and going back to the Gryffindor Tower. He found Ron and Hermione in the dorm, suspiciously alone even though it was the evening-time.

Harry went to his own bed and sat down, lifting his eyes to look at the two sitting on Ron's bed.

"What d'you want me to say?" Harry asked quietly after a while when Ron just kept staring at him like he was waiting for something. "I'm not responsible of Sirius' doings, even though I kinda don't like him dangling you from a window."

"Are you fucking blind?!" Ron questioned loudly, standing up. "He's a violent, insane bastard! What makes you think he won't hurt you if he snaps?!"

"I trust Sirius. He'd never hurt me," Harry said, laying down on the bed to stare at the ceiling.

"How can you know?" Ron yelled, waving his hands. "I'm worried he might hurt you, Harry!"

Harry smiled widely and rose to lean on his elbows. "Thank you, Ron," he said before lowering himself back down.

"Huh? What for?" Ron sounded utterly baffled and Harry sat up, his smile widening.

"I said thank you, because I guess that's the best apology I'm going to get from you anytime soon," Harry said co-operatively.

"What? I didn't apologize!" Ron protested, turning to Hermione. "Did I apologize?"

"It can be interpreted as an apology when someone who hit you says he's worried someone else might hurt them," Harry stated, his smile turning to a smirk. "But you don't need to worry, Ron. I'm a big boy here so I can take care of myself. And Sirius would never lay a finger on me."

Ron looked like he was about to argue but Hermione pulled him down next to her, shooting the ted-headed teen a stern look. "Of course we know that, now don't we?" she asked, her eyes narrowing when she looked at Ron.

"Yeah, we do," Ron said absentmindedly, staring at Hermione.

"And you'll apologize to Harry properly later, now won't you?" the girl pressed on, clearly taking advantage of Ron's distraction.

"Yes, I will," Ron said obediently like a parrot, making Harry laugh inside.

_That guy is so finished._

**End of Flashback**

*_*_*

A few days later Harry finally managed to find enough time to dig out some old Daily Prophets to find out what had happened to Fudge after all that. He had been so busy and occupied before now that he hadn't even given a thought to the man.

It didn't surprise Harry in the slightest when he read that the Minister had managed to talk himself out of the trouble he'd gotten himself into after throwing the Boy-Who-Lived into Azkaban without a trial. 'Everyone is equal in the eyes of the law', and 'no privileges'. That's what the man went on and on about. How these times required strong actions and a strong man to lead them all.

It made Harry want to puke and he tossed the papers away, starting to read another book.

*_*_*

*_How about Seikansha?*_

Harry was lying on his bed with the snake. It was the second weekend after coming back to Hogwarts.

*_What?*_ The snake lifted its head from Harry's stomach. It had apparently been taking a nap. *_What does that even mean?*_

*_It means survivor. In Japanese_.* Harry pointed to the book he was reading. _*Although it surprises me to find Japanese in a book that tells about silent magic.*_

*_You humans are weird,*_ the snake stated matter-of-factly and resumed its napping.

*_So, d'you like it? I can just call you Sei.*_

The snake tilted its head. _*I like it.*_

_*Good.*_

Harry resumed his reading and Sei his sleeping. Harry'd already read two books about silent magic. The other had been from the Restricted Section and Madam Pince had taken a long look at Harry when he'd said he wanted to read it.

Harry'd practiced his silent magic industriously the last three days at every chance he got. It still caused a lot of troubles but the books were a real help, giving advices and tricks he could use. Harry'd started with simple spells but was still stuck there. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get it right.

But Harry continued practicing. And reading. And learning. During the lesson on Friday, Harry'd asked about silent magic from the Headmaster amidst their studies about the runes.

**Flashback**

"Professor?" Harry's voice sounded slightly muffled as he was leaning his head briefly to the book he was supposed to be reading. They were in Dumbledore's private library and Harry was trying to understand the basic structure of the runic alphabet and grammar.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Can Ancient Magic be done wordlessly as well?" Harry lifted his head to look at the Headmaster who was sitting across the table, sorting the books.

"Yes, it can," Dumbledore said. "And we'll get to that part during your studies as well, don't worry."

"But I am worrying, Professor," Harry said and rubbed his face. "I can't even do ordinary silent magic. And isn't Ancient magic a great deal more powerful and all that?"

"You will learn, Harry," Dumbledore said softly and looked the teen in the eyes. "I have a perfect trust in your abilities as a wizard. So believe me when I say that you can do it."

"But it's hard! I tried it today, Professor! Silent magic. Nothing happened."

"Nothing happens over one night, Harry. Give yourself some time and keep practicing. Read the books I assign to you very carefully. You'll find all the information you need in them." Dumbledore smiled benevolently and pointed towards the book Harry was reading. "How's it going?"

"I'm starting to understand it slowly, Professor," Harry said and slid his hand through his hair. "It gives me a headache, though." Harry flashed a sheepish smile at the Headmaster. "I'm not Hermione, after all."

"But I have good proof that your mind is just as sharp as hers, Harry." Dumbledore's smile widened. "Carry on."

**End of Flashback**

Harry had followed Dumbledore's advice. That was the reason he was presently up in the dorm instead of out on the grounds having a snow-fight with Ron and the others.

The sound of a door opening stirred Harry from his reading and as he looked up, he saw Hermione walking towards his bed.

"'lo, Hermione," Harry said.

Hermione nodded and sat on Ron's bed. She looked at Harry like he was a test problem that needed to be solved.

"So, what brings you here?" Harry asked and laid the book to his chest.

"You've been talking to the snake again, haven't you?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, I have. So? And how d'you know?"

"Have you listened to your speaking after talking to the snake?"

"Nope. Why?"

"You hiss," Hermione said co-operatively and smirked. "Haven't you noticed? It isss like thisss."

Sei lifted its head when he heard Hermione's pale imitation of Harry's speech.

"And that bothers you?" Harry asked and caressed the snake's neck.

"Not in the slightest." Hermione grinned again. "But I've seen the effect."

"On who, exactly?"

"The girls around you. When you talk like that."

"And what is it about my speech?"

"It's soft," Hermione stated. "I'm sure quite a lot of them would want you to be talking like that to them."

"Well, too bad for them that I don't like girls, then," Harry said and grinned as well. "And was that all you came here to say? I highly doubt that, though."

"No," Hermione admitted.

Harry made a victorious sound, lifting his hands behind his head.

"Ron would have a heart-attack if he saw you reading, though. He seems to think that I'm the only one around here who reads books just for fun, instead of only the ones that the teachers assign to us." Hermione said and shook her head in disbelief.

"I think I can see where this is going," Harry said and slid down on his bed to rest his head to the pillow, turning to his side. Sei curled up against his stomach again and clearly yawned. It'd grown during the weeks and was now nearly a foot long.

"I didn't know that snakes yawn," Hermione said, looking at Sei.

"Oh, they do," Harry said. "At least Sei here does, that is."

"Sei?"

"That's what I named him. It's short from Seikansha. Means 'survivor'." Harry lifted his arm under his head and looked at Hermione again. "So? What is it?"

"Well…" Hermione stood up and sat down on the edge of Harry's bed. "It's about those books, actually."

"I knew it," Harry said and smirked. "What about them?"

"Why the sudden interest in silent magic? I mean, we won't learn that until our sixth year, anyways!"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "And how do you know that?"

Hermione smiled. "I asked Professor McGonagall."

"Trust Hermione to be well updated." Harry laughed and poked Hermione's side.

"Oh, stop it, Harry! I just wanted to know! And answer my question!" Hermione tried to keep a straight face but Harry could see that the corners of her mouth twitching.

"Or what? You'll bore me to death with a lecture that could outdo even Professor Binns'?"

"That's it!" Hermione yelled and summoned a pillow from Ron's bed before starting to hit Harry with it. "Answer - me, Harry - James - Potter!" She yelled, emphasizing her every word with a hit from the pillow. Sei hissed and slid to Harry's nightstand as Harry grabbed a pillow of his own and started to beat Hermione with it.

"You're not getting anything out of me!" Harry declared.

"Oh yeah?" Hermione tossed the pillow aside and started tickling Harry's sides. Harry laughed and curled up in a ball, Hermione straddling his waist. But as Harry was bigger, he managed to sit up and push Hermione back, pinning her to the mattress and hook her hands above her head.

"See? Told you so," Harry said. He tapped Hermione's cheek with his hand. "Accept the fact that for once, you're completely in the dark."

Hermione didn't have the time to answer as the door opened again and a quiet gasp was heard. In the doorway, there stood Ron, Neville, Dean and Seamus, all more or less completely wet.

"Oh hi," Harry said and climbed off of Hermione and offered his hand to her. "See? Never try to win me in a tickling match, Mione."

Hermione huffed as she took the offered hand, blushing a bit. "No fair to use your size against others, Harry. And don't you even think that I forgot why I came here in the first place!"

"Oh, I won't," Harry said and smirked smugly. "But as you seem to be quite embarrassed right now, you'll let me off the hook for now, right? I can hear your books calling for you." Harry tilted his head and put his hand behind his ear. "Oh, yes. They're saying 'come here, Mione! Forget your embarrassment for being caught with Harry in a situation that looked highly suspicious!' 'We'll ease your feelings', and so forth." Harry winked at Hermione who huffed again.

"Jerk," Hermione muttered as she stomped out of the dorm after throwing one last dark glance towards Harry.

As for Harry, he climbed back to his bed, tossed Ron's pillow back to its respective bed and put his own against the headboard of his bed. He looked up and saw the four boys still standing on the exactly same spot.

"Are you going to stand there for the rest of the day?" Harry inquired and opened his book again.

Seamus was the first to stir. "Um, Harry?"

"What, Seamus?"

"What exactly did we walk in on?"

"What d'you mean? Hermione attacked me with a pillow and then tried to tickle me to death. Self-defense, my friends. Pure self-defense on my part."

"And your 'self-defense' meant pinning Hermione against the bed?" Ron asked, sounding highly suspicious.

"Yup. A strong girl, that one. You're gonna have hard times ahead, Ron." Harry winked and Ron blushed bright red, much to the amusement of their dorm-mates.

*_*_*

Harry managed to do his first silent spell on Tuesday, next week. It was when he was sitting in the Common room, killing time before the time came for him to go to his lesson with Professors McGonagall and Flitwick. He just decided to give it a shot and suddenly the ink he was writing with turned red. Harry nearly jumped with joy as he did the spell again- silently, of course- and the ink turned back to black.

Harry pounced through the corridors and into the empty classroom they were using for his lessons. He knocked and entered, still smiling widely.

"Mr. Potter," Professor Flitwick greeted.

"Good evening, Professors."

Harry's tone catched his teachers' attention quickly.

"And what has gotten you into such a fine mood, Mr. Potter?" McGonagall peered at Harry over her spectacles and he was sure he catched a glimpse of a smile in her eyes.

"Not much, Professor, not much," Harry said and walked to the front of the class. "I just managed to do a silent charm a while ago, that's all."

Both of the Professors looked pleased and Professor Flitwick even clapped his hands.

"Very good, Mr. Potter," Professor Flitwick said. "Very good indeed. Care to show us?"

"I only managed to turn the color of my ink, Professor," Harry said, a bit embarrassed because of the sudden compliments.

"Nevertheless, nevertheless," Flitwick said and summoned an inkbottle. "Go ahead."

Harry glanced at Professor McGonagall and saw that she was smiling. That expression on the usually so strict face made her look a bit less fierce.

Harry reached for his wand and pointed it towards the inkbottle. After a few seconds it turned gold and then back to black.

Professor Flitwick clapped his hands again. "Good, good! This bodes a new turn on our lessons!"

"A new turn, Professor?" Harry was a bit perplexed.

"Oh yes," Professor McGonagall said. "When you advance in your practicing, we can change our duels to be completely silent."

Harry's jaw slackened. "But I just changed the color if the ink, Professor! I don't think I'm capable of performing any advanced magic silently! Especially in a duel!"

"Believe your Professors," Flitwick said benevolently. "I think you can be sure that we're reasonable in what we demand of you. And you can do it. Just practice, practice and practice a bit more."

"We'll stick with the verbal duels for now, Harry," Professor McGonagall said. "But as you develop, you'll be learning how to cast these spells silently."

"Alright, Professor," Harry said slowly, the slight doubt in his mind fading away as they started the lesson.

* * *

_ I got it, I got it!_

_I came up with a new threat to put here!_

_Review or..._

_I'LL MAKE SIRIUS DO IT WITH DUDLEY!!!!!!_

_---_

_---_

_Gods, please don't make me *shudder* I'm getting nauseous from the thought already! And.. *looks at Siri*_

_Yep. Siri just fainted. I gotta give him the kiss of life now!__ *approaches Sirius' still form with a lewd grin*__ Don't tell Harry!  
_

_Shh!_


	21. Chapter 21

Heyy!!

Sorry it's taken a while to update, but I've been forced to write with one hand because of Harry... *holds an icepack on her cheek* Gods, that kid's stingy! I only tried to save his dear Sirius from Death's near grip! And how does that teen repay me? Slaps me right to the face and.. grr..

Harry: *eyes the author coldly* You so deserved it, Dow. I don't ever want to see you and my Siri in that position again!

Dow: *mumbles through the icepack* tried to save the guy... such ungratefulness...

Harry: Well, it was _you _who tried to fish more reviews by that threat!

Dow: It was Sirius' idea!

Harry: I don't believe you. And now it's time for the punishment. *inhales* YOU DON'T-

Dow: *covers her ears* noo!!! I don't wanna hear! Of course I own you! *throws Harry with the icepack* There. Now that the pest is handled for a while ( I think he went to get some comfort from Sirius) I thank you for saving Sirius from Dudley. Gods, I got a trauma just thinking about it..

Sirius: Then why did you do it in the first place?

Dow:*surprised* what're _you _doing here?

Sirius: Have you read the script lately?

Dow:*leafs through the pages* Oh, I see! Well, I think I should let you get to it, then...

Sirius: *grins* I so recommend you to do that *squirms* me and Harry-

Dow: Stop right this second or I'll make you do it with Snape while Harry watches!

Sirius: *death glare* You wouldn't dare!

Dow: *chuckles*

Well, enjoy!

_Harry thinking_

**Sirius thinking**

_*Parseltongue*_

* * *

During the rest of the week, Harry managed to do a few more spells silently, much to the delight of the prank-side of his soul. After all, it was highly amusing to watch Malfoy's hair turn bright pink in the middle of Potions right under the stern glare of the Greasy Git, for example. And Harry got away with it because no-one could testify he'd done anything.

Harry read through the books that Dumbledore had assigned him slowly. In one of the books, he found an interesting spell and made a mental mark to ask about it from the Headmaster. As it was Friday, Harry would be going to his office soon enough anyway.

Harry knocked on the Headmaster's door and entered after the serene 'come in'. To his surprise, Dumbledore wasn't alone but talking to Snape.

Snape's expression changed immediately as he saw Harry. "Speak of the devil, eh, Potter," he said mockingly.

"What're you talking about?" Harry crossed his arms and looked at Snape challengingly. Dumbledore hawked. "_Professor,_"Harry added.

"I was speaking with the Headmaster about the incident that took place during my class yesterday. Do you remember? When Mr. Malfoy's hair turned pink." Snape was eyeing Harry suspiciously and his every word was filled with sarcasm.

"An unfortunate incident, I'm sure," Harry said. "But I see there no connection whatsoever to myself, _Professor._"

"Severus, if we may continue this chat later," Dumbledore said. "I have a pre-agreed appointment with Harry."

Snape turned his black eyes towards Harry and scarcely suppressed a sneer. He walked past the young man to the door and threw a menacing look at him before disappearing.

"This way, Harry," Dumbledore said and led Harry to the private library again. "We'll focus on the wandless magic today. How many of the books that I assigned to you have you read so far?"

"Two and a half, Professor."

"Is that so? Very good, Harry. And have you understood them?"

"For the most part, Professor. They kind of replenish each other, so…"

"Any questions so far?"

"Actually there is, Professor," Harry said as they sat around the table, Dumbledore sitting in front of Harry as usual.

Harry reached to his pocket and pulled out one of the books he was supposed to read. It was about using wandless Ancient Magic, conveniently. He un-shrunk it and placed it on the table.

"I see your silent magic is improving," Dumbledore said, sounding pleased.

"Yeah, well… I try to practice, Professor. But up till now, I can still count the spells I'm capable of doing silently with my one hand."

Harry found the right page and flipped the book around so that Dumbledore could look at it. "I found this spell from the other books as well," he said, tapping the pages. "This was the only one that has more than two lines written about it. But I didn't completely understand, Professor."

"Ah, this," Dumbledore murmured, tracing his fingers atop the writing on the pages before him. "I assume you're talking about the spell that deletes any magical trace?"

"Yes, Professor," Harry replied, lowering his gaze to the old book as well.

"Well," Dumbledore said and leaned back on his chair. "The spell does exactly what it indicates. It deletes all trace of magic from the subject it's pointed to."

"I'm not quite following here, Professor," Harry said, lifting his head to look at Dumbledore with a raised eyebrow. "Does magic have a trace?"

"Of course it does, Harry," Dumbledore said. "Every single witch and wizard's magic is slightly different. Like fingerprints. When you perform magic, you leave your own sign to it. Some people are very sensitive to notice these little differences. For example, if we both casted the same spell these sensitive people could tell which one was which. However -" Dumbledore tapped his finger to the page, "-this spell deletes all those signs, until no-one can tell who was the one to do the magic in the first place."

"Can the magical sign be tampered with, Professor?" Harry asked, his head tilting as he tried to absorb this new piece of information. "By using this spell? You know, to frame someone guilty for something they didn't do or like that?"

"It can be done," Dumbledore said. "That's why you won't be finding any more information about this particular spell in the books."

"I see. Thanks, Professor."

"No need to thank, my boy," Dumbledore said, closing the book. "That's exactly why I told you to read these books. You're meant to be curious and ask questions." Dumbledore smiled and handed the work back to Harry who shrunk it again and put it in his pocket. "So, how's your snake doing?"

"Sei, Professor? Oh, he's fine, thanks for asking."

"Sei? Am I correct in my assuming that you shortened the name from Seikansha?"

"Yes," Harry said and blinked.

"I've read the books I gave you myself as well, Harry," Dumbledore said as he saw the teen was surprised.

"I meant to ask you actually, Professor," Harry said. "Why's there Japanese in a book that tells about wandless magic?"

"Beats me," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Interesting beings, those books."

This comment only managed to deepen Harry's confusion.

"Now, if we get to the matter at hand," Dumbledore said after a while, stirring Harry from his thoughts. "Wandless magic. After reading those books, I'm sure you've gotten a pretty good idea on how it works."

"Yes, Professor," Harry answered.

"As theory is just so boring, we'll go straight to the concrete part. Using wandless magic," Dumbledore said, seemingly completely oblivious to the reaction his words got from Harry.

"What? You mean I'll start practicing right now?" Harry was so astonished that he barely remembered to add, "Professor."

"Yes, you shall," Dumbledore said, the twinkle maddeningly bright in his blue eyes that were x-raying Harry once again. "Under my strict supervision, of course. We'll start with the easy spells and work from there on out." Dumbledore placed his elbows to the desk and entwined his fingers. "Now, the first thing you need to understand is that the power of the spell has nothing to do with the fact how loud you cast it. It's just the same, no matter if you yell it or say it with a whisper. And-" Dumbledore lifted a finger, "-for this time only, you can exceptionally use your wand. Summon that quill from the desk, but whisper the incantation. You'll see that later on using silent magic gets easier as well, when you understand that the volume of the voice has nothing to do with the spell itself."

Harry nodded slowly and pointed his wand towards the desk at the other end of the room. "Accio, quill," he whispered, blinking in surprise as the said item almost instantly floated out in front of him.

"Very good. Now try to banish it back wordlessly," Dumbledore said, watching Harry with a benevolent smile on his ancient face.

Harry glanced at the Headmaster before turning back towards the quill, silently saying the incantation inside his head. His surprise was great as the quill jumped back to the table.

"Well, I'll need my both hands to count now, Professor," Harry said as he turned back to face the old wizard.

Dumbledore's smile widened. "I'm glad about that, my boy. Now, from here on out try to concentrate on using your spells as silently as possible. The quieter, the better. Wand away."

Harry returned his wand to its holster.

"Now try summoning that quill again without your wand. As quietly as possible."

Harry turned around but then faced the Headmaster again. "Professor?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Does it matter if I point the object I'm about to use a spell on or not?" Harry asked, tilting his head in the slightest.

"It doesn't matter," Dumbledore said.

"Does it make it easier, Professor?"

"Only if you think it does. But in reality, it makes no difference," Dumbledore replied, smiling.

Harry nodded and turned his head towards the quill. "Accio, quill," he said, concentrating hard. The quill jumped forward again, much faster this time and accompanied with almost everything else lying on the desk, staying hovering just in front of him.

Harry frowned and muttered the Banishing Charm, resulting to all the stuff crashing on top of the desk. "Oops," he said. "Sorry, Professor."

Dumbledore just smiled. "Quite alright, Harry. Quite alright. See?" Dumbledore pointed to the desk and Harry turned his head just in time to see everything returning to their original place.

"Was that you, Professor?" Harry asked.

"I confess," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling all the more.

"So it's possible to talk and use silent magic at the same time?" Harry asked, nearly squirming on his chair as all the possibilities that small thing would offer him made him exited.

"Takes a bit of getting used to, but yes, it's quite possible."

After that Harry practiced for hours, bombing the Headmaster with countless of questions every other second while trying to get a grip of his magic when he wasn't channeling it through his wand. He wobbled back to the Gryffindor Common room a bit before midnight, successfully avoiding all of the corridor-patrollers but not able resist the temptation to hex Umbridge's bow when she waddled past him. Harry tiredly changed to his pajamas when he reached the dorms, muttering a good night to Sei before falling head-on to his bed, falling asleep before his head hit the pillows.

*_*_*

As the following day was Saturday, even Hermione woke up later than usual. When she went to the boys' dorm after getting dressed she instantly noticed that Harry was still sleeping. Ron was apparently up, just finishing his dressing. Hermione tilted her head towards Harry's sleeping form and raised an eyebrow. Ron shook his head before jerking it towards the door. They went downstairs to the Common room, leaving Harry to the now deserted dorm.

"What time did he get back?" Hermione asked as they sat next to the fireplace, to their favorite armchairs.

"I'm not sure," Ron said and yawned, still rubbing his eyes. "I fell asleep a bit to eleven and he wasn't back then. What the hell's he doing every night?"

Hermione shrugged. "I really don't' know. I never knew Harry could be this secretive!"

"He ain't the son of a Marauder for nothing."

Ron and Hermione both jumped as Sirius walked from the fireplace, cleaning his clothes from the ash.

"Sirius!" Hermione cried out and got everyone's attention, the one's on DA cheering and applauding. Sirius bowed towards them before slumping to the sofa.

"So, what about Sunny boy being secretive?" the man asked, lifting his hands under his head.

"He goes somewhere every single night and comes back well beyond the curfew," Ron said, lowering his voice so that the people around them wouldn't hear. "And he won't tell us what it's about."

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Sirius said and shrugged. "Where is he, by the way? It's past noon already."

"He's sleeping," Hermione said.

"Really? At this hour? Way to go, Sunny boy!" Sirius exclaimed, waving his hands.

"Sirius," Hermione rebuked, shooting the older man a stern glare. "Harry can't sleep all day!"

"Sure he can," Ron said. "Remember the one time he slept till four thirty in the afternoon?"

"Of course I remember, Ron," Hermione snapped.

"Well, I'll go and wake him up, then," Sirius announced, jumping up from the sofa.

Ron and Hermione looked equally horrified, suddenly eyeing Sirius like he was of some astonishingly new species.

"Are you out of your mind?" Ron asked, looking at Sirius with a mixture of awe and concern swirling in his eyes.

"Some like to say that," Sirius said cheerfully.

"It's a suicide!" Ron declared. "You won't survive."

"Wanna bet?" Sirius asked, putting his hands on his waist.

"Bet on what?" Dean asked, joining them with Seamus.

"Sirius is going to wake Harry up," Ron said.

Seamus and Dean both turned to look at Sirius. "It was good to know you, mate," they said at the same time.

Sirius laughed. "Is he that bad?"

"That bad?" Neville repeated in a shivering voice, appearing next to them and entering the conversation as well. "When it was my turn to wake him up it took Professor McGonagall half an hour to remove all the hexes and curses Harry blasted at me."

"Hard luck, mate," Ron said sympathetically. "I think Harry was having a nice dream at the moment. But remember when I woke him up last week? I had to walk around with antlers for the whole morning!"

Sirius chuckled. "So, who's in for the bet?"

"Two Galleons that he'll hex you," Dean said immediately.

"And I say ten that he doesn't," Sirius said. "Anyone else?"

"Five that he will," Seamus said.

"It's a lost cause," Neville said. "But… It was nice knowing you, Sirius."

Sirius laughed as he walked to the stairs that led to the boys' dormitories. "Sure." With that he disappeared to the staircase and the people in the Common room heard the fifth-year dorm door opening and closing. Everyone waited what the result would be, as the infamous stories about waking Harry up had reached everyone's ears during the first weeks after the holidays.

After fifteen minutes or so the door opened again and to everyone's surprise Harry walked down the stairs and into the Common room, whistling quietly. Sirius walked right behind him and sailed to the fireplace.

"My money, please." Sirius said, a smug grin on his face as Dean and Seamus dug their pockets for the money, all the while staring at Harry who was leaning to the sofa and looking suspiciously high-spirited.

"Harry?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"What, Hermione?" Harry replied, smiling brightly and only deepening their amazement.

"Okay, Sirius." Ron said. "What did you do to Harry?"

"Wha d'you mean?" Sirius asked innocently as he put the money to this pocket. "I said I'd get him to wake up in a good mood and I did."

"How in the bloody hell?" Neville blurted. "Please tell me!"

"A magician never reveals his tricks," Sirius said with a wink.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Harry said. "I'll be in the Great Hall if you need me. I want to eat." He yawned and stretched, instantly having Hermione grabbing his jaw and pulling his head down. "Wha?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hermione's eyes narrowed and she gave Harry a long look before loosening her grip. "Mouth open," she ordered.

Harry's eyebrows shot to the ceiling before he chuckled. "Aaa," he said, opening his mouth.

"Tongue out," Hermione said, her hands on her waist as she tilted her head back. Harry got a smirk on his face and his eyes flashed as he stuck his tongue out, hearing as Ron gushed out the water he'd been drinking.

"What… exactly is that, Harry Potter?" Hermione asked, sounding terrifyingly close to one Molly Weasley.

"Hmm?" Harry slid his tongue inside his mouth and rubbed his chin, looking mock-thoughtful.

"On- your-tongue!" Hermione lashed out.

"It's a piercing," Harry said helpfully, his smirk widening when Hermione huffed. "Got a problem there, Mione?"

"And exactly when did that get there?" Hermione asked, her eyes narrowing even more.

"Along with this," Harry said, playing with his lip-ring with his tongue. "Not my fault if you didn't notice it up until now, you know," he added with an impish look flickering in his eyes. When Hermione opened her mouth to say something more, Harry raised an eyebrow. "As I was saying," he said emphatically. "I'll be in the Great Hall if you need me."

"We'll come too," Ron said and rose from his chair, followed by Hermione.

"Sure, whatever," Harry said, still smiling widely.

They walked towards the Portrait hole and Sirius bowed like a gentleman, a smirk playing on his lips.

"After you, Sunny boy."

Harry's eyes flitted from the man to the Portrait-hole. "Oh no," he said, laughing. "I'm so not going before you!"

"Are you suspicious of my intentions?" Sirius asked innocently.

"I would be insane not to," Harry stated and pointed towards the Portrait. "You first."

"Nope, you first."

"No, you."

"Not a chance, Sunny boy. Start walking."

"You can't force me to. _You _walk!"

"Oh for Merlin's sake, both of you!" Hermione exclaimed and grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him through the Portrait hole with her. "There. Can we please go to lunch now?"

"No objections," Sirius and Harry said at the same time.

"Stop mimicking me," Sirius said and his eyes swept over Harry. "You're not worthy to speak at the same time as me."

"Same here. Stop copying me and get your own brains."

"I have one already. And it's working perfectly well."

"I highly doubt that. No-one in their right mind would act like you do."

Ron and Hermione sighed as they walked towards the Great Hall, gathering looks because of Harry's and Sirius' loud verbal dispute.

"They act like they're five," Rom muttered to Hermione.

"I'm not five!" Harry and Sirius said, once again managed to talk at the exact same moment and that added even more fuel to their engines.

"Sirry-Birry, honestly! Think of something own to say!" Harry said and spun around to look at Sirius properly.

"I said it first! I can't help it if my brains work faster than yours, Sunny boy." Sirius countered and stuck out his tongue.

"Your brain works on the pace of a snail, Siri. Just admit that I'm more intelligent than you are."

Sirius sneered. "I'll be a Hippogriff before that happens."

"Then start growing feathers."

"Hey! You-"

"Honestly, you two!" Hermione blurted out and turned around. "Would you please stop acting like two overgrown five-year-olds who've gotten a shot of the Energy Potion?"

"Err… No?" Harry asked. "What's the big deal, anyways?"

"The big deal is that everyone's looking at us! And we're not even in the Great Hall yet! So pipe down."

"Aww… Don't be such a buzz-kill, Mione," Harry whined.

"Where's Sirius?" Ron asked suddenly.

"What d'you mean 'where's Sirius'? He's right-" Harry frowned as he looked to his right. Where should've been Sirius, was now just thin air. "Shit," Harry murmured.

They continued their walking and just as Harry was walking into the Great Hall, he felt ice-cold water splashing on him. He gasped loudly and wiped the hair out of his face, turning to look behind him. And true enough, Sirius was leaning to the banister a few feet away from him, laughing his head off.

"Sirius," Harry said. He could feel water dripping from his clothes and form a puddle to his feet. The entire Great Hall had gone quiet, looking at Harry's drenched figure in amazement. "Any last words before I curse you into oblivion?" Harry asked, pulling his wand out.

"Hmm…" Sirius said and rubbed his chin. "You look good when you're wet?"

An interesting noise raised through the Great Hall as all the students there gasped at the same time. Harry's eyes narrowed and he raised his wand but before he could fulfill his threat, Professor McGonagall walked out of the Hall.

"Mr. Potter!" McGonagall snapped. "I will not have you cursing people in front of The Great Hall. And Mr. Black!" McGonagall turned to face Sirius who pushed himself away from the banister and walked next to them, still snickering. "For what reason exactly did you see fitting to have Mr. Potter dripping water on the threshold?!"

"His fan-clubs must have _something_ to drool on about, Professor," Sirius said cheerfully. "And besides, Harry doesn't look half-bad like that." Sirius grinned at Harry who raised an eyebrow and glanced down his body.

"Come on, Siri," Harry said. "You had all the chances in the world and you decide to make me soaking wet? This proves it. You have no brains at all."

"Fan service, my dear Harry. Fan service. Haven't you heard that nothing catches the eye of an admirer quicker than his idol soaking wet?"

"Aww… I'm your idol? Gee, thanks, Siri."

"Ha ha." Sirius said and stuck out his tongue.

"Mr. Black! Is that the proper way to behave in front of your elders?" Professor McGonagall scolded. "And the students?"

"They're too busy to stare at Harry," Sirius said before waving his wand, drying Harry's clothes in an instant. "There, better?"

"Now move to the Great Hall," McGonagall snapped before turning around and disappearing to the crowd of people.

"You heard the marshal, Harry. On you go." Sirius mimicked, waving towards the doors.

Harry snorted before turning around and continuing his interrupted walk.

"Sirius, I need to talk to you," Harry said as he was finished eating.

"Haarryy! I'm still eating!" Sirius whined, hunching lower on his seat..

"I'll get you a juicy bone," Harry coaxed.

"A bone?" Sirius' eyes lit up immediately and he turned to look at Harry.

"Yes, a bone. Now come on." Harry rose from the table and dragged Sirius with him out of the Great Hall.

"Where're we going?" Sirius asked.

"Oh yeah," Harry said and stopped in the middle of a step. "Where have you been keeping 'you know what's'?"

Sirius grinned. "Right this way."

Sirius led Harry to the seventh floor, to a wall opposite to the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.

"Sirius? There's nothing here," Harry said, wondering if Sirius was pulling his leg even though at the same time faintly remembering coming somewhere around here with Ron.

Sirius chuckled and parked Harry near the tapestry. "I'll show you a magic-trick."

Harry raised an eyebrow as he watched Sirius walk thrice past the same spot on the wall and gasped as a door appeared.

"After you, Harry," Sirius said and opened the door.

Harry looked at Sirius before walking in to the suddenly appeared room. What he saw stopped him dead on his tracks. Harry faintly heard Sirius closing and locking the door and coming to stand behind him.

"Wow," was once again all that Harry managed to say as he stared in awe at the room in front of them. It somehow managed to be the mixture of Harry's bedroom at Grimmauld Place and the Gryffindor Common room in a delightful collision.

Sirius chuckled again as he wrapped his hands around Harry's waist from behind and kissed his neck.

"I think I was here with Ron," Harry muttered, looking around. "But then this room looked totally different and was filled with Pensieves."

"Yeah, well. This place is quite convenient. Just walk past it three times, concentrate on what you want it to be and puff, there it is," Sirius said.

"Can it be modified from inside as well?" Harry asked.

"Yup."

Harry turned around, looking at Sirius with a raised an eyebrow and suddenly there was a sturdy wooden table next to them.

"And what about other people coming in?" Harry inquired.

Sirius smirked. "I think I know where this is going… Yes, you can ask the room not to let anyone else in. And soundproof-walls can also be arranged."

"Good," Harry said and grabbed Sirius' head, bringing it down for a kiss that was almost desperate.

He moaned as Sirius grabbed the hem of his shirt and flung it over his head, breaking the kiss. Sirius slid his hand to Harry's hair and pulled him back for a kiss as his long fingers worked on Harry's belt and the button of his jeans. They were soon open and Sirius slid his hand to Harry's ass, grabbing it gently and making Harry let out a sound as he shifted his legs.

Sirius pushed Harry towards the table and Harry stepped out of his jeans along the way, hopping to the table and flinging his legs around Sirius' waist, locking his ankles behind the man's back. Harry grabbed Sirius' shirt and opened the buttons hurriedly, sucking the man's chest and neck as the shirt slid down to Sirius' forearms and from there to the floor. They both slid their arms around each other, touching everywhere they could reach as their kisses grew more and more heated and passionate. Sirius disentangled himself from Harry's limbs and traced his hands to Harry's legs, disposing the teen's socks before tracing his mouth to Harry's inner thighs and giving him a bite.

Harry leaned back to his elbows, spreading his legs even more. He arched his back and groaned as Sirius took his hard-on in his hand before giving it a light suck.

"Mmmh…. Just hurry up, Sirius. You already did that a while ago," Harry moaned and twitched as Sirius licked his shaft.

"But it was a quicky," Sirius mock-whined and lifted his head, sliding up to kiss Harry. "I want to do it properly."

"Just fuck me, Sirius," Harry pleaded. "Suck me all you want later. Just please…"

Sirius snickered and caressed Harry's lips with his fingers. "Open," he murmured while licking Harry's ear, pressing with his fingers and slipping two of them in as the youth opened his mouth.

Harry grabbed Sirius hand, slicking the man's fingers quickly with salvia as Sirius placed small kisses along he youth's neck and shoulder.

Sirius took his fingers out and pressed them to Harry's entrance, sliding one in. Harry arched his back and whimpered quietly, thrusting his ass against the man's hand.

"Pretty horny now aren't you?" Sirius asked with a smirk as he slipped a second finger in, making Harry slump heavily against the table and cry out as Sirius' fingers hit his prostate. "I think I can guess what kind of a dream you were having when Neville woke you up. Am I right?" Sirius thrust with his fingers again and Harry gripped the edge of the table, his body arching again.

"Am I?" Sirius demanded and added a third finger, making Harry gasp as his eyes flew open.

"Wait! Stop…" Harry panted. "Not so… fast…"

"Then answer me," Sirius said and grabbed Harry's neck, kissing him deeply as his fingers continued their intrusion.

"Ye…yeah…" Harry cried out again as Sirius' fingers hit his prostate.

"Aand?" Sirius asked. "What was I doing to you?"

Harry whimpered and turned his head away, putting his forearm over his eyes. "You-" he swallowed and exhaled deeply, twitching in the slightest.

"I?"

"You tied me up," Harry murmured and gasped when Sirius pulled his fingers away. The fingers were soon replaced with something much bigger and Harry's whole body arched as Sirius entered him slowly.

"What else did I do?" Sirius asked as he was fully inside, kissing Harry's neck.

Harry wrapped his legs around Sirius' waist again and reached to touch Sirius' face. But Sirius grabbed his hands and pinned them to the table, not moving his waist at all.

"Move, Sirius," Harry pleaded and looked at Sirius.

"Tell me what else I did."

"I can't remember…" Harry murmured.

Sirius let go of Harry's hands and started to pull away.

"Okay, okay! It had something to do with ice cubes! That's seriously all I can remember!"

Sirius snickered and grabbed Harry's waist, lifting it up as he slammed his hips hard against Harry. Harry gasped and arched his back, squinting his eyes shut as Sirius continued his hard pace.

"Oh Gods… Slow down Siri," Harry moaned and breathed heavily. "It's been a while. Cut some slack…"

Sirius chuckled. "Stop with the act, Harrykins. We both know you like it rough." He leaned on his hand and bent his head, biting Harry's nipple.

Harry gasped and arched his back as Sirius suddenly slowed down until he was barely moving at all. He opened his eyes and shot Sirius a dark look. "_Move_!"

"Admit it, Harry… You like it rough," Sirius coaxed.

Harry narrowed his eyes and bit his lips, still panting heavily. He shot Sirius another look and it didn't remain unclear to either of them that Sirius was right. Harry sighed and closed his eyes briefly.

"I like it when you fuck me roughly." Harry panted. "Now would you please_ really_ fuck me?"

Sirius snickered and slid his hand to Harry's back, lifting until he was sitting on the table. Harry flung his arms around Sirius' neck and whimpered quietly into the kiss as Sirius started to move again. He rested his head to Sirius' shoulder and bit hard enough to break skin as Sirius' hand traveled to his cock and aided him over the edge with a few strong strokes.

Sirius pulled away, making Harry moan loudly. He helped Harry slip from the table and to the floor before supporting the teen to walk to the bed. Sirius laid Harry down gently to his stomach before he pulled the teen's hips up and thrust back in again.

Harry's back arched and he moved his ass to meet with Sirius' thrusts as his hands stretched forward and he purred like a cat.

"More…" Harry panted heavily and rested his head against the mattress.

Sirius moved back and dragged Harry's body with him until he was standing on the floor next to the bed and Harry was on all fours in front of him. Sirius thrust forcefully in and out and listened to Harry's moans with a little smile. His eyes slid shut as well and when Harry clutched the sheets in his hands, crying out his release again, Sirius' head bent and a small whimper escaped his lips as well.

*_*_*

"We should be apart more often," Harry muttered and snuggled deeper to Sirius' side, resting his head on Sirius' chest.

"How d'you figure that?" Sirius asked drowsily as he traced small patterns to Harry's back.

"It makes the sex even more enjoyable." Harry kissed Sirius' chest and flung his leg over Sirius' waist.

"And it isn't otherwise?" Sirius turned his head to look at Harry more properly and raised an eyebrow.

"I said nothing of that sort."

"Good," Sirius murmured and tilted Harry's head, giving him a long kiss. "But y'know, the intermissions allow you to think of all the things you want me to do to you." Sirius nibbled Harry's ear and neck, making the youth giggle faintly.

"When's the meeting?" Harry asked, stretching with a small smile while pressing himself against Sirius' side.

"At seven. We have hours before that."

"Good," Harry said. "Because I really wanted to talk to you."

"About?" Sirius tightened his hand around Harry's shoulders and entwined their fingers.

"Well, firstly," Harry said, nuzzling even closer. "I'm curious to know how you manage to stroll around here without raising any suspicion at all. I'd thought at least Umbridge would be breathing to your neck constantly with her questioning."

"A-ha…" Sirius said, lifting his arm under his head as he caressed Harry's side. "Well. In the autumn, it was because of the… circumstances… Even she couldn't look it the wrong way if I wanted to be here. Before Christmas, it was about the same reason. Plus, Madam Pomfrey had clearly said it wasn't good for you to be alone, so… yeah."

"And now?" Harry asked, tilting his head back to look at Sirius. "I'm all well, peachy, alive and kicking."

"I just wanted to see you?" Sirius suggested with a smirk, giving a small laugh when Harry raised an eyebrow. "Plus, I have Dumbledore's permission so Umbridge can't pass that."

"So, Dumbledore knows about this… group of yours?" Harry asked.

"Yep, gave his consent and all. Plus, when he woke up he agreed on the fact that I… got other things to think about as well when I taught…"

Harry bit his lips and Sirius could see the youth was starting to think unpleasant things. He nudged Harry's leg gently, stirring him out of it. "So, the other thing was?"

"Yeah…" Harry said absentmindedly before clearly shaking himself mentally. "You know how to use silent magic, right?" he asked, looking up to Sirius.

"Yeah…" Sirius answered.

"Care to help me? Please? I'm kinda stuck here."

"You're practicing silent magic?" Sirius asked, sounding surprised.

"Yep. But now I'm kinda stuck at the point where I can perform only the simple charms silently. Anything advanced and puff." Harry made a demonstrative gesture with his hand, like blowing something up before he entwined his fingers with Sirius' again. "Will you help me?"

"Of course I will, Sunny boy," Sirius said and kissed Harry's hair.

"Great!" Harry exclaimed, sitting up.

"Wait, right _now_?!" Sirius asked and rose to his elbows.

"Yes, Sirius. Right now," Harry said and slid from the bed, going to the pile of clothes lying scattered on the ground and fishing his wand from the holster before returning to the bed. Meanwhile Sirius had risen to sit his back against the headboard and he lifted the covers so that Harry could slip back between them.

As Harry was next to Sirius the man grabbed his wrist and fingered the bracelet.

"You wore it," Sirius muttered.

"Of course I did," Harry said and kissed Sirius lightly. "I love everything you give me, Siri."

Sirius turned his gaze back to Harry and raised an eyebrow. "Wow. That was really sappy, Sunny boy."

"But true," Harry said with a chuckle. "So-," Harry tapped Sirius' nose with his wand,"-you gonna help me or what?"

"Yeah, yeah," Sirius said and turned Harry around so that his back was leaning to Sirius' chest.

"I have a snake, by the way," Harry said as he adjusted his position to make himself comfortable.

"Really? Why? Where'd you get it?"

"I kinda rescued it," Harry said as he grabbed Sirius' hand and wound it around his chest. "A few days ago, actually. Sei agreed to stay with me until he gets better."

"Sei? You named it already? As a fish?" Sirius laughed. "I must admire your brain, here."

Harry chuckled as well. "He liked it. Now should we get back to the subject at hand?"

"You started," Sirius said. "I'm listening," he added, sliding his hand down Harry's stomach.

"With your hand?" Harry giggled and grabbed Sirius' hand. "Seriously?"

"Always am," Sirius said and nibbled Harry's ear.

When the clock threateningly advanced towards seven Harry and Sirius had to put on their clothes and leave the Room of Requirement for a few seconds as Sirius changed it to be the DA-meeting room.

Ron and Hermione arrived a quarter to seven along with Sei- to Harry's great surprise.

*_What're __**you**__ doing here?* _Harry asked and reached for the snake from the chair he was currently occupying. *_And how did you manage to get Ron and Hermione take you with them?*_

Sei hissed like he was extremely amused. *_They didn't take me with them. I am perfectly capable of moving on my own.*_

_*And exactly how many people did you scare on your little journey here?*_

_*They're such chickens. All I did was go past them.* _Sei snorted.

Harry grinned widely. _*I see. And? For what do I owe the pleasure of you coming here?*_

_*I was bored. And you're going to the old lunatic next, right? I wanted to see him.*_

_*Or you could just say that you missed me?* _Harry suggested with a wink and caressed Sei's head.

Sei shot Harry a glance that was dripping venom. The youth might've been worried about his health, had the snake's voice not been slightly humorous.

*_We snakes don't __**miss**__ anyone, Harry.*_

_*So you're calling me by my name now? I'm honored,* _Harry tilted his head towards the snake in a mock-salutation.

_*You should be,* _Sei stated and curled up on Harry's lap.

Harry laughed silently and raised his eyes to his friends. "So? Where'd you find him wandering?"

"It was on the fifth floor," Hermione said and sat down as well. "There were some first-years. They seemed to be nearly scared to death by Sei."

"Well, he's grown a bit," Harry admitted and looked at Sirius. "This is Sei. The snake I talked about."

Sirius walked closer and crouched next to Harry's chair so that he was on the same level as the snake. "Did you say that he's grown 'a bit'?"

"Ah, well…" Harry smirked. "He was only two inches long when I found him."

"And that was when, exactly?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"About a week and a half ago," Harry said cheerfully. It amazed him as well that Sei had grown to be nearly two and a half feet long in a mere week. "Sei seems to be growing quickly."

"Apparently," Sirius said, rising up again. He glanced at his clock and then to the door.

**It's ten to… Oh sweet Merlin, I **_**need**_** to get Harry to speak to the snake more often. His speech is sooo cute when he hisses!!!**

Sirius was interrupted from his nice thoughts by the door opening and at least a dozen people entering at the same time.

"Oy!" Sirius barked at them, making each and every one of the appeared students jump. "Exactly what have I said about coming here in packs, huh?!"

All of the students looked sheepish.

"Sorry, Mr. Black," Angelina Johnson muttered.

Sirius made a puking sound. "Not the Mr. Black-thingy, please. It makes me wanna vomit."

Harry observed this with amusement. "Well, well, well," he said teasingly, making Sirius turn around and the students jump again. "I didn't know you could be so authoritative, Siri."

Sirius stuck out his tongue and Harry giggled. "I can be very authoritative when I'm in the mood, Sunny boy." Sirius said with a wink and even though the smile didn't manage to get to the man's face, Harry knew exactly what he was thinking. A certain period of two days during the Chrissie Holidays.

Harry snorted, covering a cough, and concentrated on caressing Sei so that his mind stayed on the appropriate tracks.

_He just __**had **__to bring that up right now. _

Harry frowned a bit to keep his face solemn but Sirius didn't miss the change in his eyes. The man chuckled inwardly and sat on the arm of Harry's chair.

"So, you gonna stay here, Sunny boy?"

"If it doesn't bother you," Harry said. "Besides, I'm avoiding the Common Room. There's a threateningly big pile of homework there."

"Harry!" Hermione scolded. "If you would do the homework when we get it, instead of reading those books that have absolutely nothing to do with your studying you wouldn't be in that state!"

"But homework is just so boring, Hermione," Harry whined. "I don't have your brains or ability to concentrate. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"And how many times do I have to tell _you _that you would manage very well should you decide to actually think what you're doing!"

Harry sighed but luckily Ron came to his aid. "Sirius, what're we doing today?"

"You'll see," Sirius said, ushering Ron and Hermione away with the excuse of wanting to talk to Harry privately.

"What is it?" Harry muttered as Sirius glanced towards the students before a wicked glint appeared in his eyes.

"You got any plans tonight?" Sirius asked quietly, his back to the room.

"I'm going to Dumbledore's office at eight," Harry said. "It always takes half the evening so I'll be free around midnight… Why, got something in mind?"

Sirius' grin widened and he leaned closer. "Come here when you're finished," the man breathed to Harry's ear.

"But I have to do my homework," Harry muttered.

"Then bring it here or do it later. Silent magic is your homework as well, right?" Sirius stated, winking.

Harry chuckled and Sirius straightened, revealing to Harry that everyone in the room was more or less staring at them. He stood up and grabbed his chair, dragging it to the corner of the room.

"I won't bother you," Harry said cheerfully to Sirius as he sat down and fished one of the books Dumbledore had assigned him out of his pocket.

"I'll curse you into oblivion if you will," Sirius said just as cheerfully.

"You sure you can?" Harry teased as he flipped the pages to find the right one.

"I don't think you want to find out that badly," Sirius said with a wink before turning his attention to the students.

Harry pretended to be reading the 45 minutes before he'd stroll to the Headmaster's office but in truth he observed the group of students. Quite a few of them threw a glance at him every other second but the looks were plain curious to Harry's eyes. He gripped the book in his hands when almost all of the female students in the room flirted with Sirius, some more openly than the others. Sirius seemed to take it all with a smile and it made Harry grit his teeth every time he saw it. However, he managed to keep a passive face during it all and was startled when Sei suddenly started to speak.

*_You really like that human don't you?*_

*_What d'you mean?*_ Harry asked, managing to tear his eyes from a certain seventh-year Ravenclaw who was flirting with Sirius quite openly at the moment instead of trying to Stupefy her partner as was supposed to.

*_I've been around you for two weeks,* _Sei stated and looked up at Harry. *_And we snakes aren't deaf, much less blind. You should see your face when you look at him.*_

_*Shit,*_ Harry muttered. *_Am I that obvious?* _

_*No,*_ Sei said. _*I can just observe you so well.*_

Harry chuckled. *_You really aren't modest, eh, Sei?*_

_*Not in my nature,* _Sei said and rested his head against Harry's shoulder.

Harry glanced at his clock and stood up. "See ya, Sirius," he said as he passed the man and the obnoxious Ravenclaw.

"Yeah," Sirius said and smirked at Harry. "Don't fall on the stairs or anything."

Harry snorted. "Just who do you think I am? You?"

Sirius laughed jovially as Harry walked out of the door, heading for the Headmaster's office.

Harry rolled his shoulders in the slightest before he knocked on the door of Dumbledore's office. After the silent come in Harry entered and Sei instantly tugged him towards Fawkes.

*_I want to see the pigeon.*_

_*It's not a pigeon,* _Harry laughed as he walked next to the phoenix.

*_But it sounds fun,* _Sei said and reached his head out from Harry's shoulder until he was on the same level as the fire-red bird.

Harry watched with interest as Fawkes turned his golden eyes towards the snake and scrutinized it with a glare that so much reminded him of Professor McGonagall.

"Good evening, Harry," Dumbledore said, suddenly appearing next to the teen.

"Good evening, Professor," Harry said, caressing Sei's head absentmindedly.

"Is that the snake?" Dumbledore asked, pointing towards Sei and peering at him over his half-moon spectacles.

"Yes, Professor. This is Sei," Harry said, tilting his head towards the snake.

Dumbledore inclined his head towards the snake who was scrutinizing the old wizard with his gold and black eyes.

*_My, aren't you being polite,* _Sei said, turning his head back to Harry.

Harry snorted and noticed the amused look on the Headmaster's face.

"I see that you're getting along fine," Dumbledore said as he led Harry to his library once again.

Harry laughed. "You could say so," he said as he sat down. "He said he wanted to see you, so that's why he decided to come to the Room of Requirement and scare a few students along the way."

Dumbledore smiled. "I think I heard something like that about an hour ago."

"Really? From who, Professor? If I may ask, that is."

"I do believe it was Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said and threw a glance at Sei. "He claimed that a snake tried to rip his leg off as he had been taking an innocent stroll to the library."

*_Sei? Do you happen to know anything about this?* _Harry asked, trying very hard to suppress a smirk.

_*About what?*_ Sei asked, his tone pure innocence.

_*About you trying to bite a student's leg off.*_

_*A student? When?*_

_*About an hour ago.* _Harry raised an eyebrow. *_Well?*_

_*Aha! Now I remember!* _Sei said_. *But I didn't try to bite his leg off. I just playfully nipped it when I passed.*_

"Sei claims he didn't do anything, Professor," Harry said as he turned towards the Headmaster again. "It was just a playful nip."

"I see."

After a knowing glance Dumbledore announced that Harry would continue with his Runes-studies that evening. And even if the Headmaster noticed that the teen wasn't fully concentrating he didn't comment on it and Harry left the Headmaster's office a bit to one in the morning.

After leaving Sei to the Gryffindor Common Room Harry silently made his way to the seventh floor before stopping at the empty wall.

_What the hell am I supposed to think??!_

Harry sighed inwardly and adjusted his Invisibility Cloak before staring to pace in front of the wall.

_The room where Sirius is. The room where Sirius is. The room where…_

Harry walked back and forth three times and sighed in relief as the door appeared. He opened it carefully and slipped inside, recognizing the room as the one they'd been first as he let his cloak fall to the floor.

"Hiya, gorgeous," Sirius chuckled, winding his arms around Harry.

"Gorgeous?" Harry asked and laughed, looking Sirius straight in the eye. "Have you been drinking?"

"Nope," Sirius said, whirling them around and pushing Harry gently towards the bed. "Just thought you should know that it's not only your body I'm lusting after here before we get started."

"Get started? That's highly romantic, Siri," Harry said and smirked. "Besides, saying I'm gorgeous is precisely just praising my body, you know.

"You want me to be romantic?" Sirius asked as he put a hand on Harry's chest, shoving gently so that Harry landed on the bed with a soft 'thwump'. "Okay."

Sirius stepped to the bed as well, standing on his knees between Harry's legs. "I could hardly concentrate on what I was saying during the meeting when you were here," he said, caressing Harry's leg. "And I could've cursed that Ravenclaw to oblivion when I saw how she looked at you when you left."

"How she looked at me?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. "Rather how she was looking at _you_."

Sirius snickered. "Jealous, now are we?"

"Not in the slightest. Besides, you just said you could've cursed her so that's enough for me," Harry said, flashing a smirk to the man.

"Aww, but you _were_ jealous," Sirius teased. "I could hear you gnashing your teeth from halfway across the room."

"I did _not_ gnash my teeth," Harry said, averting his eyes from Sirius'.

"Just admit it, Harrykins," Sirius coaxed.

Harry grinned widely and started to open his robes, making Sirius snort cheerfully and grab Harry's hands, pinning them to the mattress.

"Be in denial if it pleases you," Sirius said as he lowered his head, starting to blow small breaths to Harry's neck.

"I'm not in denial," Harry muttered and tilted his head. "And I don't need to be, as long as _you_ need to fuck me every time you see me."

Sirius stopped and straightened. "Something wrong with that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Harry rose to a sitting position and reached for his shoes, taking them off along with his socks. "Nope," he said, nipping Sirius' hipbone through his jeans. "I'm just requesting you remember that some of us need to sit all day the day after tomorrow."

"So?" Sirius asked, looking down at Harry and caressing his cheek with his fingers. "You can lie on your bed the whole day tomorrow."

"I need to go to eat," Harry said as he leaned back and pulled Sirius with him.

"Ask a house-elf to bring food to the dorm, then," Sirius suggested as he lowered himself to lie fully on top of Harry. "Or we can just sleep tonight," he said and flopped next to Harry to lie on his back.

"Not happening," Harry stated matter-of-factly and moved to straddle Sirius. "You don't go suggesting something like that and then decide to sleep."

"I was just being considerate, Sunny boy," Sirius said and stretched like a cat. "I thought you might be tired."

"I am," Harry confessed before a lecherous grin lit up his face. "But not _that _tired. Besides, I can sleep tomorrow."

"Such irresponsibility," Sirius said but grinned as well.

"Says the one who spent over half of his time in school pranking others," Harry said as he opened his robes and undid his tie.

"But I still managed to get top marks on the OWLs and NEWTs," Sirius said and lifted his hands to unbutton Harry's shirt.

"You did?" Harry stopped midway as his robes were nearly off him and stared at Sirius with wide eyes. "Were the tests that easy? I have nothing to worry about now that I know that."

"Ha ha," Sirius said and rolled his eyes, opening the last button in Harry's shirt. "Very funny."

"I'm an entertaining guy," Harry said as he tossed his robes into a messy mass on the floor.

Sirius chuckled and opened Harry's belt, sliding it slowly from the loops before flipping it over the edge of the bed. He opened Harry's pants and slid his hand inside, making Harry hum quietly as the youth's eyes fluttered shut.

Harry half opened his eyes and moved his hands to the hem of Sirius' shirt, tugging it up. Sirius arched his back, allowing Harry to lift the garment up and at the same time pressing their crotch even more firmly against each other, making Harry's hum grow louder.

Sirius rose in the slightest and the shirt slipped off him, disappearing to the dark floor as Harry bent down and kissed Sirius' neck and jaw-line hungrily. Harry licked Sirius' ear and traced his lips to the other man's mouth, licking his lips.

Sirius grabbed Harry's head and crushed their lips together forcefully before gliding his mouth to Harry's temple, giving it a long lick.

"I'm so going to fuck your brains out tonight," Sirius murmured softly and bit Harry's ear. Harry chuckled faintly and moved his hips, making them both groan.

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't," Harry breathed and slid his hands to Sirius' hair, pulling it gently as they kissed heatedly, tongues gliding over one other, never getting enough.

Sirius rolled them around and broke the kiss, licking his way down Harry's chest as he yanked the teen's pants down and away along with his boxers. He didn't waste any more time but took Harry full in his mouth and gave his erection a long suck. Harry's body twitched and a small moan escaped his lips as he buried his hands in Sirius' hair.

*_*_*

It was almost eleven in the morning when Harry crawled back to the Gryffindor Common Room. He stumbled through the half-full room and headed for the stairs to the fifth-year-boys' dorm. Harry tossed his robes to his trunk and managed to collapse head-on to his bed when before Ron and Hermione burst inside.

Harry groaned inwardly and curled up in a ball on the bed, hoping that his friends would take the hint and leave him alone. But when had the Gods of luck been on Harry Potter's side?

"Harry," Hermione said firmly.

Now Harry groaned out loud and pulled a pillow over his head.

"Not know, Mione," Harry murmured. "I wanna sleep."

"Where were you last night?" Hermione asked.

Harry grinned under the pillow, glad that his Ron and Hermione couldn't see his face. 'Fucking my brains out with Sirius' was what he wanted to say.

"In the Room of Requirement," Harry said.

"The whole night?" Hermione sounded suspicious.

"Yes, the whole night," Harry said, sounding fed up. "Go and check with Sirius if it bothers you so. Now get out. I want to sleep."

"Well why didn't you sleep during the night, then?"

_I had __so much more better things to do…_

"Because of Sirius." Harry said and removed the pillow from his face.

_Half the truth, anyway…_

"Why?"

"That guy talks like crazy if he gets the chance," Harry said and pulled the drapes around his bed. "Now get out." When Harry heard Ron and Hermione start to leave reluctantly he poked his head out between the curtains. "Oh yeah, by the way. If you dare to wake me up, you'll regret you've ever been born." With a dashing smile Harry retreated back to his bed.

Ron looked at Hermione before they walked back to the Common Room to finish their homework.

After two hours or so when the lunch had come and gone, Professor McGonagall appeared to the Common Room. She went straight to Ron and Hermione who were sitting next to the fire, talking quietly.

"Where's Potter?" Professor McGonagall snapped, making both if the teens jump in surprise.

"Harry's asleep, Professor," Hermione said.

"At this hour?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes. Can we help you, Professor? If it's a message, we can give it to Harry when he wakes up," Hermione offered, closing the book on her lap.

"No. He needs to come with me right now. Go and wake him up," the Professor said, looking like she wouldn't tolerate any objections.

Ron looked horrified. "With all due respect, Professor," he said with a small voice. "I happen to like my body as it is right now."

"What are you talking about, Mr. Weasley?" McGonagall snapped.

"Don't you remember, Professor? Neville, few weeks ago. That was Harry," Ron said.

"He threatened us, Professor," Hermione said with a solemn face. "And I'm one hundred percent sure he meant every word."

"Mr. Weasley, go and wake Mr. Potter up. I'll be your backup." Professor McGonagall peered at Ron, who had turned white, over her spectacles. "For heaven's sake, boy! I didn't ask you to put a loop around your neck!"

Ron swallowed hard and rose from his chair extremely slowly, his aversion extremely clear. He walked to the boys' dorm, approaching Harry's four-post bed like it was a dangerous animal. With a glance to Professor McGonagall's direction, Ron slowly opened the drapes and revealed Harry's sleeping form. The teen had curled up in a ball and seemed to be sleeping soundly.

"Do I have to, Professor?" Ron asked quietly.

"Just wake him up, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said firmly.

Ron sighed like he'd resigned to his face and poked Harry's side. Nothing happened and Ron grimaced. He poked his friend again, a bit harder this time. Harry stirred in the slightest and Ron backed away. But not quickly enough. Harry's curse hit him straight on and would've caused some serious damage had Professor McGonagall not raised a protective shield a thousandth second earlier.

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall snapped. "You can not go cursing your dorm mates for waking you up."

"I warned him, Professor," Harry said and yawned, groping his hair. He sat up on the bed and threw a glance at Ron. "Sorry."

"I- it's okay," Ron said. "I didn't want to wake you up in the first place, mate."

"Come along, Potter," McGonagall said. "The Headmaster wants to see you."

"Why?" Harry asked, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

"It is not my business to inquire his motives," the Professor said. "Now hurry up. You've wasted enough time as it is."

Harry sighed and stood up, straightening his clothes before following the Head of the Gryffindor House out of the Common Room and into the Headmaster's office.

Professor McGonagall entered without knocking and Harry saw that Dumbledore already had company. Sirius was leaning to the window frame next to Fawkes.

"Good afternoon, Harry," Dumbledore said from behind his desk.

"Good afternoon, Professor," Harry replied and tried to stifle a huge yawn.

"I have a suggestion for you, Harry," Dumbledore said and entwined his fingers.

"What kind of a suggestion, Professor?" Harry asked, trying not to fall asleep where he was standing.

_How the hell can Sirius look so perky??!! He slept just as much as I did!!_

"It's related to your silent magic studies," Dumbledore said and Harry shook his head, trying to concentrate.

"What about them, Professor?" Harry asked.

"I'm sure Professors McGonagall and Flitwick have already told you that when you get the hang of it, so to speak, you'll be using silent magic during your duels."

"Yes, Professor." Harry replied slowly, feeling like his brain was dragging miles behind the rest of his body.

"So, in order to speed things up, Sirius has agreed to help you with your studies on that aspect."

Harry turned to look at Sirius who was trying to suppress a grin. "How?" he asked.

"You can come to Grimmauld Place during the weekends," Sirius said.

"But what about my lessons during the evenings?" Harry asked and turned to look at the Headmaster again. "And I have to do my homework at some point as well."

"You can bring it with you," Sirius said.

"And as for the lessons with me, you can floo to my office straight from Grimmauld Place," Dumbledore said. "The faster you learn silent magic, the faster you improve in everything else."

"So you need to know if I agree." Harry said.

Dumbledore nodded.

"That's not even a question," Harry said and grinned. "Of course I agree. Although I'll have to ask some Calming Potion from Madam Pomfrey so that I can put up with you," Harry added, turning to wink at Sirius.

"Hey!" Sirius yelled and Harry chuckled.

"So we'll start next weekend?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Sirius said and stretched. "I think I'll go back to Grimmy now. I need to get some sleep."

Harry snorted as Sirius walked to the fireplace and after throwing in some floo-powder disappeared.

"Do I come back at eight, Professor?" Harry asked, turning to face the Headmaster again.

Dumbledore nodded. "We'll continue with the Ancient Magic and Runes so I trust you'll be fully awake when you walk in next time, Harry," he said and smiled benevolently, his eyes twinkling madly.

"I'll try, Professor," Harry said as he walked to the door.

After sleeping five more hours Harry felt a bit more awake as he strode to the Common Room to join Ron and Hermione in their battle to win over the mountain of homework. When Harry sat down, Hermione was already drowning him in a stream of questions.

"Hermione, shut it," Harry said. "I can't make any sense whatsoever what you're saying."

Hermione took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "What've you done this time?" she asked.

"What d'you mean?" Harry asked nettled.

"Professor McGonagall doesn't do courtesy visits, Harry," Hermione snapped. "Why did she take you to see Dumbledore?"

Harry glanced at Ron who gave him an apologetic smile, his eyes clearly saying 'you know her, mate…'.

"I haven't done anything," Harry said. "Why do you have to suspect me?! The Headmaster just had something to say to me, that's all."

"Something to say to you…" Hermione muttered. "What?"

Harry opened his mouth but then closed it again. He shook his head and quickly grabbed his Potions book in an attempt to start doing his homework.

"Do not dodge the question, Harry James Potter," Hermione hissed. "I asked what the Headmaster wanted."

"And I'm not telling," Harry snapped. "Just wave your goodbyes to our shared weekends."

"Why?" Ron asked.

"I have something to do," Harry said and opened a roll of parchment in front of him to the table, taking his quill out as well.

"What?" Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes. "And why can't you tell us?!"

"Because I was told not to," Harry snapped.

"And since when have you followed what's been said to you?" Hermione asked sharply.

"Since it suits my purposes," Harry said nonchalantly. "Now drop it, Hermione. I'll tell you at some point."

"At some point," Hermione scoffed. "And when might that be?"

"Weren't you the one who said you would sniff it out without me having to tell you?" Harry asked, starting to write his Potions-essay slowly.

Hermione snorted. "I admit it, Harry. I have no idea. And following you leads to a dead-end."

Harry bowed his head in mock-salutation. "Thank you very much."

"Honestly, why can't you just tell, mate?" Ron asked.

"Because I don't want to," Harry said simply, blocking his friends away as he tried to concentrate on the essay. His concentration, though, was greatly hindered by a particular dog probably sleeping soundly at a particular house, jumping into his mind and making a nest there, emitting juicy scenes to his still drowsy brain.

* * *

Here it is again!

I got such a trauma from my last note here so I think I'll go to mend it with some smut right now... *scurries away*


	22. Chapter 22

Ok-kay! Here's a new chapter for you! I'm sorry for the wait (AGAIN!! Yes, I know!!) but I've had an exam week in school just a while ago so my brain-functioning has been a bit on the lower scale as of now ^^ But, most fortunately, I'm all perky now, inspired by all of the fabulous, amazing reviews I've gotten. They really seem to be making me write faster *hint hint*

Well, enjoy!

* * *

People seemed to like torturing Harry by dragging him out of bed before sunrise. One Angelina Johnson was no different: the girl came to shriek on Harry's ear one Saturday morning when he was having a quite the sweet and juicy dream.

"Harry, come on!" the girl yelled, letting out a frustrated sigh when Harry mumbled something incoherent and pulled the blankets over his head. "WAKE UP!!"

Harry grumbled but allowed the covers to be ripped from his tight grip, squinting his eyes shut when he saw Angelina in her scarlet Quidditch robes. "What?" he murmured, trying not to fall asleep again.

"Quidditch practice, Quidditch practice!" The seventh-year exclaimed, bouncing up and down and waking up the whole dorm in the progress. "Come on! The team's thrilled to have you back! We need to train so that we'll win Ravenclaw!"

"Since when was I back?" Harry asked as he sat up, rubbing his face. "And I haven't played since last autumn, Angelina. Surely you have someone to replace me…"

"Shut it!" Angelina said cheerfully, taking out her wand and waving it so that Harry soon found himself in his full Quidditch Seeker robes, charmed from the open trunk. "Now come along!"

Harry groaned but allowed himself to be dragged up, hearing Ron coming behind them as they went out to the brisk morning.

Hopping on to his broom and soaring to the clear blue sky woke Harry up more efficiently than Angelina's speech could ever do. Surely the girl wasn't as deadly boring as Oliver Wood had been but in the state Harry was in, the only person who could've caught and kept his attention was most likely sleeping in Grimmauld Place right now.

Harry warmed himself up properly, accelerating around the pitch over and over again until he felt awake enough to gather with the rest of the players. Angelina beamed on every possible direction and the reason for that was clearly visible from the fact how she looked at Harry.

"Now," the captain said. "This'll just be a warm-up. Because Harry's been away for a while we'll take it easy today, but I booked the pitch for tomorrow also so be prepared to work your asses off then."

Harry groaned inwardly as he stretched, seeing yet another killer-weekend happily on the run towards him. Even after this he'd have to go and eat, grab his stuff, spend nearly the whole day with Sirius and then come back in the evening to try and tame his over-eager magic that didn't seem to understand how to behave without a wand.

Glad that they could take it easy today, Harry took the Snitch from Angelina and let it free, giving the small ball a ten second head-start before starting to chase it around the pitch, flitting amongst the other players.

When Angelina finally let them go it was nearly lunchtime, and Harry's stomach had been protesting the slightly unfamiliar extortion for quite a while already. Finally walking up the stairs to the great doors, Harry was stopped by a short-fingered hand falling to his shoulder. Turning around, he saw just the person he didn't want to see; looking into the watery eyes of Dolores Umbridge.

"May I have a moment?" Umbridge asked with her high-pitched voice, making Harry want to wring her neck right there.

"Err… can't it wait, Professor?" Harry asked, trying to sound as polite as possible. "I've been out the whole morning and I missed breakfast so-"

"Oh, this won't take long," the woman interrupted, starting to drag Harry through the corridors towards her office. "Just a question or two… you'll be out very quickly, dear."

Harry felt slightly revolted to be called 'dear' by a toad lookalike who was shorter than him and talked like a mice but he managed to bite back the comment that threatened to slip past his lips. When they arrived at the woman's office Harry was seated to a chair with a lace-cover on it. He was starting to feel slightly nauseous just by being in the room for two seconds because every single surface was either covered in pictures of cats or pink frilly things or both.

"Now," Umbridge said, sitting behind her desk and nearly disappearing from sight with her pink cardigan. "I'm hoping you will help me with a few things, Harry."

Harry managed to keep his face straight but couldn't help the slight sarcastic raise of his eyebrow. The Professor saw this and her smile died down in the slightest before turning into an even more annoying fake smile that managed to show every of her teeth, reminding Harry extremely vividly of Lockhart.

"I'll start this simply, Harry," Umbridge said, leaning forward on the chair and making her body shake quite nauseatingly.

"Be my quest, Professor," Harry said, sitting as little on the chair as possible.

"What is your relationship with Sirius Black?"

Now Harry's eyebrows really shot to the ceiling as he eyed the Professor. "Why do you ask, Professor?" he asked cautiously.

"What makes it so special that Black got a special permission from the Headmaster to sail in here whenever he likes?" Umbridge pressed on, leaning even more forwards.

"Have you met Sirius in person?" Harry asked. "He can talk anyone to do pretty much anything."

"I met the man and didn't like him," Umbridge said, pursing her lips like she'd bitten a lemon. "A slick man who never gives a straight answer. Again, I ask. What is his business here?"

"Why would I know?" Harry asked.

"It is commonly known that you two are… close," Umbridge said, her eyes gleaming as she looked at Harry.

Harry suppressed his smirk, the grumble of his stomach the only thing penetrating the silence. "I have nothing to comment," he said after a while, standing up. "Snoop around. I'm pretty sure you know how to do that, Professor." Harry turned around, reaching the door when the woman's voice stopped him.

"I will find out what you are doing, Harry Potter," Dolores Umbridge said, standing behind her desk with a slightly menacing look on her round face.

"Good luck," Harry said, not turning around as he opened the door and exited the room.

*_*_*

Despite the threatening work load plus the now current Quidditch-practice, Harry was in high spirits the whole next two weeks. The weekend with Sirius in Grimmauld Place came and went, Harry actually managing to expand his list of 'spells I can do silently' with a few ones when they weren't busy with Sirius doing something… else. He nearly endured Snape and Umbridge as well, only gnashing his teeth in the slightest when the toad lookalike came to interrogate him again during their quest to write their hands off in D.A.D.A.

Then it was time for the Quidditch game.

The night before the game was pure torture to Harry. He couldn't sleep well, and when he _did_ sleep he only had dreams of either him and Sirius or the upcoming game, always waking up with a start and sweat gliding down his body. When this happened for the tenth time within the hour Harry sighed and stood up, wobbling to the bathroom. He locked the door and sat on the toilet seat, lifting his feet to the edge of the sink and sighing.

Harry slid a hand through his hair and cleared a tangle in it, concentrating on his hands until he was done. He felt the excitement mingled with slight terror twirling in his stomach, making him feel restless. The whole game would have been a piece of cake if not for one thing.

Sirius had said he'd come to watch it.

On one hand, Harry thought that was the best thing he'd ever heard. He'd always wanted Sirius to see him fly properly, with the broom the man had given him, no less. On the other hand he was purely terrified, afraid that he'd make a fool of himself in the field under Sirius' eyes.

Harry swallowed and closed his eyes, an image of Sirius' laughing, handsome face immediately jumping to the front of his mind and making him remember the dream he'd woken up to. He bit his lower lip as he let his head rest against the wall, his fingers caressing his stomach. With a slightly annoyed sigh Harry let his hand fall to his side again before throwing it all to hell and standing up, letting his pants drop to the floor before sitting down again. His hand slid to his hair again and this time his fingers played with his earring, feeling the cool surface against his skin.

Harry remembered, it'd been just yesterday after all. Being with Sirius in Grimmauld Place was just as enjoyable as he'd thought it'd ever be, and the man there made the whole studying thing feeling easy.

Sirius had grabbed Harry and pulled the youth to his lap, pressing their bodies together. Harry remembered how the man had kissed the side of his neck with those long, lingering kisses that left a wet trail behind, scorching Harry's skin.

Harry's hand slid down, his fingers caressing his cock.

Sirius' hand had been on the youth's stomach, caressing through the fabric as his fingers traced small patterns. Harry had pressed against the man more strongly, his back tightly against the warm chest. The man had continued to kiss his neck, his tongue flicking out and licking Harry's skin as his fingers had continued their play. Then, Sirius other hand had slithered along Harry's side to his chest and the youth had raised his arm, looping it around the man's neck and pressing Sirius' head even more against his neck. His head had tilted to the side when the hand had continued its journey all the way up to his elbow before falling down again, pressing just enough for Harry to feel it and his body to react to the touch.

Harry's hand started to move.

Then the kisses had grown more determined, the lips had pressed more before teeth had joined, scraping Harry's skin and making his head toss back. They'd been moving for a while then already, Harry grinding his ass to the man's front and Sirius answering with a move of his own every now and then. The man's lips had glided to Harry's ear, sucking the lobe gently before biting softly. Harry remembered the warmth against his back, scorching him through his clothes as they'd moved slowly, in a perfect rhythm. Sirius' hand had slid down to Harry's pants, his long fingers curling and taking a hold, pressing Harry even more strongly to his lap. The man's other hand had still been coursing up and down Harry's side, his mouth planting hot and wet kisses to the side of the youth's neck and jaw before suddenly slipping to Harry's ear again. The hot mouth had closed around Harry's earring, taking it in until Sirius had kissed his ear. Scorching.

Harry moaned briefly and bucked his hips to his hand, starting to caress his chest through the shirt.

Sirius' hands had been all over Harry, their bodies had moved. The man's hand had guided Harry, the movement of the youth's hips changing as his ass had rubbed against Sirius, causing sweet friction. Harry had moaned and Sirius's hand had pressed even harder, making the youth spread his legs. The man had let the earring go, his hand had released Harry's waist and come to slip the youth from his dress-shirt. The skin exposed had been a free feast to Sirius' kisses and it had made Harry even harder when the man had sucked the spot just above his collarbone.

Harry panted and his body arched, his eyes squinting shut.

Sirius had moved his hips against Harry's ass, making him moan again. The man had returned his hand to Harry's waist, his fingers caressing the youth's side. Harry had moaned over and over again, and Sirius hadn't even touched him properly yet. The young man had turned his head, his fingers turning the man's face towards him as they'd drowned in the kiss. Harry remembered feeling Sirius' hard-on through the man's jeans, pressing against his ass as they'd fucked with their clothes on, grinding against each other. It'd burned his body, he'd moaned into the kiss when Sirius had moved faster.

Harry moaned and his pace fastened, his body bending as his release sneaked even closer.

Harry's spine had arched, he'd pressed himself even closer to the other man as he'd spread his legs more, placing his feet to the arms of the chair to get his ass more against Sirius. Sirius' hands had slithered along the youth's body and under his shirt, twirling his nipples between his fingers. Harry had moaned again, his fingers tangling in the silky locks as he'd moved even more, his hand going to the front of his pants-.

Harry let out a choked moan and came all over his stomach, his breath hitching in his throat before his lungs co-operated again and he gulped for air, enjoying the relaxed feeling his body was drowning in. He kept his eyes shut and let the scene of yesterday play to the end before he heaved himself up, his legs feeling slightly wobbly as he cleaned himself and put his pants back on, turning towards the door.

Ron was behind the door when Harry opened it, shifting his weight from one leg to the other with a pained expression. "Gods, mate! You were there for ages!" he moaned before storming past the young man and closing the door. Harry heard the click and as he walked to his bed again he happened to recall the exact moment when he'd opened the door. Ron's hands had been in a slightly different position then…

With a smirk Harry laid down again. Apparently he wasn't the only one with a vivid imagination around here.

*_*_*

It snowed in the morning. Of course it snowed in the morning. The visibility was below zero, temperature somewhere around Antarctica's and- of course- it was windy as well.

Harry gave the ceiling of the Great Hall a scowl as he walked to the Gryffindor table, sitting down between his friends. "Morning," he growled, taking a goblet of pumpkin juice. He was feeling slightly irritable because of the lack of sleep, spearing an unfortunate sausage with his fork.

"Well, good morning to you too," Hermione said from Harry's left, looking at the youth's sour expression. "And shouldn't you be a bit cheerier, Harry? It's your first game in a while."

"Have you looked to the sky lately, Mione?" Harry nearly moaned, looking at the girl. "It's snowing like hell and I can bet your dearest books it's like a typhoon out there."

Hermione gave Harry a sympathetic look and it was all she could do before Angelina appeared behind them, grabbing the backs of both Harry's and Ron's Quidditch robes. "Come along!" the Captain exclaimed, yanking the two from their seats and dragging them out of the Hall, followed by the rest of the team.

"Gods, quit being so perky," Harry mumbled under his breath as they walked outside and into the storm.

"Why?" Angelina questioned, keeping up a good pace.

"Because it's a fucking storm and the wind's gonna throw us from our brooms if we don't get suffocated by the snow first," Harry said, wiping his hair from his face.

_And because my insides have been imitating snakes for the past ten hours…_

"No can do, this's brilliant," Angelina declared as they reached the pitch and went to their changing room.

"In what way?" Harry moaned, but so quietly no-one heard him. They took seats and listened to the girl's speech, Harry leaning his head to the wall. He'd just managed to hope the girl would never stop when she went quiet, leaving a silence behind. Harry sighed and resigned to his fate, getting up and going into the bathroom. He needed to tame his hair.

Harry stood in front of the mirror and cursed endlessly when the braid he tried to do never held, locks of his hair always sneaking to his face.

"Got a problem there?"

Harry swirled around and saw Sirius on the doorway, leaning to the frame with his relaxed, lithe form. His arms were crossed on his chest and a pair of amused grey eyes was looking at Harry from under the dripping wet bangs, snowflakes on his hair. Harry swallowed, his hand twitching as he resisted the urge to brush the hair out of the man's face. Sirius smirked and took a step closer, twirling a lock of Harry's hair between his long fingers.

"Need a hand?" Sirius asked, his smirk widening. A drop of water slid along his temple and Harry couldn't turn his eyes away, his gaze glued to the drop as it slid to the man's cheek.

"Umm, sure," Harry managed to say, gathering his brains together again. Sirius chuckled low in his chest before turning around, pulling Harry with him as he sat on a bench in the changing room. He pressed Harry to sit down between his legs, the youth's back turned towards him as he slid his hands to the unruly hair.

Harry tried to turn around with wide eyes, the question halfway from his lips before Sirius turned him forward again. He pulled Harry a bit closer, squeezing the youth's shoulders between his knees.

"Stay still, now won't you?" Sirius said, ignoring the looks the youth's teammates were giving them. "It's easier for me if you sit down."

Harry turned his head again to look at Sirius before he chuckled, shrugging and squirming a bit so that he was resting his arms on the man's knees. "What're you doing?" he asked, tilting his head back to look at Sirius as the long fingers started to collect his hair up.

"What d'you think?" Sirius asked with a grin, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Harry briefly before turning the youth's head straight again. "A braid, of course."

"I already tried that," Harry remarked, not able to resist bending his head back in the slightest again when the fingers massaged his skull gently. "It just falls apart, Siri. No use trying."

"I'm a genius," Sirius said like that would explain everything before his fingers started to work. The pattern of them was oddly calming and lazy, letting Harry relax in the slightest. He leaned more heavily to the man's legs as his eyes slid half shut, his ears filling with the sound of the wind until he forgot there even was someone in the room with them. He raised his knee, taking a bit more comfortable position on the floor as he felt his tensions leaving him, the knot in his stomach slowly loosening. Then Sirius' hands disappeared and Harry awoke from his half trancelike state, blinking. He turned his head to the side before feeling the hands again, sliding along his hair before falling away again, and this time Harry felt a small nudge on his shoulder.

"You're done?" Harry asked, standing up and stretching as his hand went to feel his hair. Sirius laughed and swatted the hand away, waving his finger.

"Tut tut, Sunny boy," the man said, still smiling. "Hands off, 'kay? Besides, I think it's time for you to go now."

Harry swallowed, feeling the thrill setting into his stomach again. He turned to look at his teammates, seeing the jerk Angelina made with her head. Harry swallowed again and turned to look at Sirius, opening his mouth to say something. Sirius waved his hand dismissively.

"No need to thank, I like to mess with your head," the man said with a smirk and Harry felt the warmth descending to his cheeks, turning away.

"Fine," Harry said, taking his broom and joining the others. "Enjoy the show," he said with a grin, just before exiting the room and following the others to the field.

They froze to death during the half a minute they walked towards the center of the grass pitch. The wind tossed their clothes and hit their faces with the snow, making Harry's skin numb just after a few minutes. He twitched in the slightest, watching as Madam Hooch gave up and just gestured the Captains to shake hands before they mounted their brooms, kicking off to the sky.

Harry shook his head to get the snow from his eyes, trying to see from the storm as he rose several feet above the ground. The other players were just vague forms emerging from the white powder every now and then, and Harry didn't even see the spectators. He flew around the field, the tingle in his stomach settling as he tried to find the small golden ball. Harry dodged a Bludger that suddenly appeared from the haziness, blinking the wetness from his eyes. The braid Sirius had made held, keeping Harry's hair from his face. And he was sincerely glad about that. The wind, blowing like a typhoon, threw his broom unexpectedly all the time and he had to keep one eye on it all the time, lessening his chances to find the Snitch.

The game seemed to drag on for hours, night falling way too quickly because of the storm. Harry had lost the feeling on his limbs long ago, the snow had hit his face for so long already he didn't even feel it anymore. He had no idea what the situation was because he couldn't hear the commentator's voice from the booming, the flashes he got from the other players not aiding him in the slightest. A few times he'd nearly caught the Snitch before it'd slipped away, disappearing into the darkness.

Harry let out a surprised yelp when something hit his side hard. It felt warm and firm against him as he turned his head, looking into the wide eyes of one Cho Chang. The girl had banged to his side out of nowhere and was now clutching to him as if for dear life, her lips quivering.

Cho shouted something but Harry couldn't hear it, a frown descending to his face when the girl didn't let go. He yanked at his bound arm and raised an eyebrow when the girl shook her head, her eyes widening even more. She pulled Harry down until her lips were sweeping past his ear, shouting and even then Harry barely heard her.

"My broom!" the girl said, clutching to Harry's robes. "When I crashed…- fell!"

Harry turned to look down and saw that the girl was indeed hanging in the air, nothing but Harry keeping her up. He slid his arm to the girl's waist and pulled her in front of him on the broom, leaning in to speak to her ear.

"I'll ask for a timeout, 'kay!"

Cho nodded and clutched to Harry as she sat sideways on the broom, the snow lashing her face. Her grip tightened when Harry had to do a tight swerve to avoid hitting another player, pulling him down in the slightest.

Harry saw the blush creeping to the girls face when he tightened his hold, trying to keep them both on the broom as he had to dodge again, this time a Bludger blocking their path. He chose to ignore it in his task to find Angelina from amidst the white velvet they were surrounded in. The young man saw a glimpse of the girl's form not that far away, starting to fly there slowly. He'd completely forgotten about searching for the Snitch.

Then Harry finally reached Angelina and grabbed her shoulder, shouting to her ear about a timeout. The Captain looked a bit baffled when she saw Cho practically on Harry's arms on the broom before she nodded, disappearing to the storm. Harry heard the whistle and flew to the ground, letting the girl get off first before straightening. Cho escaped immediately, going to her own teammates as Madam Hooch came over and handed her the broom back.

"What's the situation?" Harry asked from Angelina, leaning so close his lips were nearly on the girl's ear so that he was heard.

"We lead 50 to 30," Angelina shouted back. "You need to get the Snitch, Harry! We're drowning here!"

"You think I'm better?" Harry questioned. "I've been searching for it the whole time, I just can't bloody find it!"

Angelina gave him a squeeze to the shoulder before they kicked off to the air again, the wind hitting hard to their faces.

Harry had to search for nearly an hour longer before finally catching sight of the Snitch again. He accelerated behind it, the icy wind and snow pounding hard against his body as he tried to see through the curtain of whiteness. Harry lost sight of the golden ball several times before he finally caught up with it again, his hand already stretched out when a player appeared out of nowhere and he had to turn away to avoid the collision, the ball disappearing again. Harry cursed and started all over again, his eyes scanning the field as much as he could as he flew amongst the other players. He was starting to feel rather hopeless about all of this, the coldness penetrating every bit of his body until he couldn't feel anything anymore, his hands slipping on the slippery handle of his broom as he flitted through the game. Then Harry saw the Snitch again, lurking near one of the goals in the Ravenclaw end of the pitch. He spat the snow from his mouth and returned to the chase again, his whole concentration zooming to the tiny ball until relief filled his body, the tiny wings of the ball flapping weakly against his fingers.

*_*_*

"Hiya," a voice called out, making Harry turn around as a slight frown fell on his face. He was cold and wanted to see Sirius, not to deal with girls.

"Hi," the youth replied, shrugging as he reached for his robes. He chose to ignore Cho, maybe she'd go away.

"I… umm," the girl said, shifting. "Wanted to thank you. For… before."

"Oh, don't mention it," Harry said, putting his shoes on. "Was that all?"

"Well, umm…" Cho shifted again, fisting the fabric of her robes as she kept her gaze down. "I, well…" She lifted her head briefly and took a step closer, until she was nearly pressing Harry to the wall. Harry blinked and opened his mouth to say something when the words burst out of the girl at a rapid pace, nearly half of it going past him.

"You-, I-, I mean, I like you and I think that- well, I like you so would you go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"

Harry blinked again dumbly, realizing his mouth was hanging open so he closed it hurriedly. He saw the embarrassment mingled with anticipation in the girl's dark blue eyes that reminded him ever so faintly of Sirius. Harry swallowed and bit his lip, trying to come up with a good way to say this.

"Look, Cho," the young man started and the tone of his voice made tears well in the girl's eyes. He grabbed her upper arm when it looked like she was about to run off, forcing the girl to look at him when she tried to avert. "I- I appreciate your offer, I really do. And if it wasn't for some- circumstances- I'd definitely go out with a beautiful girl such as you. I just can't."

"C-circumstances?" Cho asked, a single tear gliding down her cheek. "What do you mean? Do you have someone already?"

Harry swallowed, biting his lip even harder as he tired to find a way to slither from that question. "I- there's someone I like," he finally said, nearly laughing at the faint, pale understatement. He didn't just _like_, he loved. Passionately and _possessively_, like from some fairytale.

"Do I know her?" the girl asked and Harry nearly frowned. It just didn't quite make sense why she would want to know something like that.

Harry sighed, his hand falling down. "I don't think so," he said.

_Yeah, because for one he's a guy and two, do you really think I'd tell you it's Sirius?_

"Oh, okay," Cho said, trying to swallow her tears. "I- I understand, Harry. Okay, I think I'll just…" she turned around and ran from the room, leaving Harry standing there.

The teen swallowed and turned around again, starting to collect his things.

"I never knew you could make a girl cry," a voice announced from the doorway, making Harry swivel around.

"What do-" Harry started defensively but stopped when he saw the faint smile on Sirius' face, raising an eyebrow. "What're you doing here, anyway?" he asked, turning around and finishing up before going to stand next to the man.

"Why, I came to congratulate, of course," Sirius said with a laugh, pulling on Harry's ear gently.

"And that includes ripping my ear off?" Harry asked, swatting Sirius' hand away as he walked out into the night.

"Aww, I wasn't that serious," Sirius said with a smirk, following right behind Harry. "You fly well, by the way."

"So I've been told by numerous persons," Harry said as he lifted up his collar, pulling his clothes even tighter around him as he walked against the icy wind.

"And you should believe them," Sirius stated. "Especially me, of course."

"Of course," Harry said with a laugh, glancing at Sirius. His gaze traveled up and he saw the tree they were just passing underneath, his eyes lighting up. Harry muttered a quick spell and ran out of the way as the snow on the branches crashed on top of Sirius who let out a yelp, buried under the whiteness.

Harry ran a few feet before turning back and chuckling, looking to the pile of snow with a victorious smirk. He laughed when a black dog emerged from the darkness and started to chase him through the grounds, nearly biting on his ankles.

Padfoot managed to trip Harry and he fell head-on to the snow, letting out a yelp. He immediately had Padfoot on his lower back, pressing him down before it was the man again.

"You think you'll get way with that, hmm?" Sirius asked, his hands pressing Harry to the snow as he grabbed some of the icy coolness and stuffed it down the youth's collar, laughing cheerfully.

"You ass!" Harry exclaimed, trying to get Sirius off him. "I'm freezing already, don't make it worse!"

Sirius chuckled and leaned closer, not minding the biting cold wind or the heavy snowstorm going on around them. "Then I'll just use the whole night to heat you up," he muttered heatedly to Harry's ear before standing up and brushing his clothes. "Gods, it's cold!" he exclaimed, jumping. "Come along, Sunny boy, before your ass freezes!"

Harry snorted and cranked himself up, brushing his clothes. They nearly ran inside the castle, their cheeks reddened and breathing just small puffs of air as they finally pushed the great doors open and entered, leaning to the wood when they were inside the warmth.

"Gods, I'm cold," Harry groaned, feeling his limbs start to burn up as he jumped up and down. "I can't feel my legs anymore."

"You poor thing, should I carry you?" Sirius inquired with a smirk, wiping his hair from his face.

"No, thanks," Harry said, heaving himself off the door as he took a wobbly step. "I shall endure this pain and suffering like a true Gryffindor, albeit it would be utterly and totally right in every way imaginable for you to drag me up all those stairs."

"Ha, you're mean, Harrykins," Sirius declared as they started to climb the stairs slowly, step by step. "But it really is oddly quiet, now wouldn't you agree?"

"Have you looked outside lately?" Harry inquired, leaning to the wall briefly. "And have you been around for the past half a day? Gryffindor won, which means there's a party going on in the Common room as well in the Hufflepuff Common room. The Ravenclaws and Slytherings are seething because of that same fact. Plus, it's kinda cold and drafty in some of the corridors so who would be insane enough to be walking around when you can choose the warmth of the fireplace?"

"You," Sirius stated, grinning widely. "And it seems to be contagious as well, because I'm here instead of sleeping warmly and cozily in by bed."

"It's not even eight yet," Harry pointed out as they finally reached the seventh floor. "Gods, there're too many stairs in this place," he groaned, leaning to Sirius.

"I agree, they've at least tripled from the time I was here," Sirius said, wrapping an arm around Harry's waist as he half dragged the youth towards the Room of Requirement.

Harry blinked lazily when he was pulled into the warm room, the fireplace spreading its heat all over the place. He was guided right next to the blazing fire, to the soft fur rug. The youth sighed as he sat down, stretching out his hand to warm them in the heat.

"You know," Harry said languidly, his eyes searching for a while before finding Sirius sitting right next to him. "This brings back a certain memory of a certain cottage some time ago…"

"Hmm, does it now?" Sirius inquired with a solemn face as he started to peel Harry's numerous layers of clothes off, starting from the man scarves.

"What're you doing?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow as the garments fell to the shadows surrounding them one at a time.

"I told you," Sirius said, a small smirk dancing in his eyes as he looked at Harry. "That I'd use the whole night to warm you up, that is."

Harry swallowed, his hands falling to his lap as he blushed faintly.

"Are you blushing?" Sirius asked, his hand gliding down Harry's now bare back as he took the youth's shirt off.

"No," Harry said immediately. "It's just the heat, my blood's flowing more intensely now."

"I see," Sirius said with a chuckle, placing a soft kiss to Harry's shoulder before pressing him down to lie on the soft fur. "Okay."

Harry inhaled sharply when his shoes and socks were removed, quickly followed by his pants. The heat from the fireplace radiated to his side as Sirius bent over him, the man's lips ghosting over his skin.

"You think no-one'll suspect anything?" Harry asked, surprised he'd managed to gather enough sanity to form words when Sirius' lips kissed every bit of his body like that.

"They won't," Sirius said, the confident smirk on his face making Harry shift his legs slightly as his insides tightened. "And if they do, I'm sure you can talk yourself out f it."

Harry chuckled faintly, the noise turning to a gasp when Sirius' teeth scraped his skin on the side of his neck. "Whole night, huh?" he muttered, his hand falling to Sirius' still slightly wet hair.

"The whole night," Sirius promised, his grey eyes swirling as he looked down to Harry. His fingers brushed past Harry's bare side, making the youth shiver in both anticipation and excitement. "Let's see how fast I can make you sweat," the man muttered as he lowered his head, starting to kiss his way down Harry's stomach.

*_*_*

When Saturday once again crawled into sight Harry willingly bounced out of his bed before ten and was dressed in record time, storming past an unfortunate Neville in the staircase and nearly knocking him off-balance.

"Sorry, Neville," Harry yelled as he almost jogged through the Common Room and out of the Portrait hole.

When Neville walked back to their dorm he saw Ron standing beside his bed, looking at the door with a dumbstruck expression on his face.

"Was that Harry?" Ron asked when he got his voice back.

"Seems so, yeah," Neville said.

"It was a changeling," Ron said firmly. "It had to be. Harry _never _gets out of bed before noon."

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked, conveniently entering the room as well.

"He nearly knocked me over a few minutes ago," Neville said. "I think he was going to the Great Hall."

Hermione looked at Neville, disbelief seeping through her voice as she spoke. "Not possible."

"That's what I said," Ron stated. "We have to go to the Great Hall and reveal the impostor."

Harry was eating at top speed when Ron and Hermione arrived at the Gryffindor table. He waved in greeting before continuing his attempt to clearly empty the table from food.

"Whoa, slow down a bit," Ron said as he sat next to Harry. "The food isn't going anywhere."

"I am," Harry said and gulped down his pumpkin juice. "I have something to do."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing big, I-" Harry was interrupted by a scream, echoing through the Hall. Then other students started screaming as well, catching the teachers' attention.

Harry heard a familiar hiss and rose from his chair hurriedly, turning towards the doors. *_Sei!* _

More than a few people jumped a meter to the air around Harry, startled by the loud hiss. Sei raised his head and made his way towards Harry who sat down again, reaching his hand to the floor and allowing Sei to slide to his shoulders.

*_How many times do I have to tell you __**not **__to scare innocent bystanders?* _Harry demanded, trying to sound scolding and failing miserably.

_*It's not my fault if all of the students here are chickens,*_ Sei said as he wound himself around Harry's upper body before resting his head atop of Harry's.

*_And you of course did nothing to arouse further panic,* _Harry said amused and reached for a nearby plate. *_Bacon?*_

_*I've never tasted it,* _Sei said and moved his head closer to Harry's hand, taking the offered slice of meat.

*_Good?*_

After a while of gulping Sei managed to answer. *_It's dry but good.*_

_*Pumpkin juice?* _Harry asked, offering his goblet to the snake after refilling it.

Sei took a tentative sip before drowning his head to the goblet, drinking all of the liquid.

*_You're like a dog, did you know that?* _Harry asked amused, watching as the snake's throat moved.

Sei turned to look at Harry and hissed threateningly, making the students around them move away with wide eyes.

_*I am no dog!* _Sei hissed.

Harry raised his hand and caressed Sei's head, making the snake's eyes slide half-closed.

*_Just kidding, Sei,* _Harry said and rose from his chair. "Well, I'm off then," Harry said, turning to leave the Great Hall. He went back to the Gryffindor Common Room hurriedly, gathering some looks as he strolled across the floor to the staircase, Sei still draped around his upper body.

Sei slithered to the foot of Harry's bed as he sat down, crossing his legs. Harry closed his eyes and took a few calming breaths, preparing himself to start meditating. He managed to slip to the sniffing state pretty easily, gasping as he 'looked' around. Everything was built from colors and swirls and nearly rainbow-like streams, all floating around Harry. He could nearly hear the low rumbling of the magic around him, coiling and uncoiling and floating and flowing. He could see every object in the room in at least five different angles at once, making it slightly overwhelming. Harry looked at Sei for a while, the clean grey color around the snake calming him down before he continued his exploring, testing just how far he could see.

The dorms were a piece of cake so Harry expanded his vision to the common room. He saw all the students there in a mixture of colors amidst the whiteness, not able to make that much out of it before it all melted into one big chaos. His head started to ache from just that so he retreated again, returning to his own dorm and examining the place like that. He could see traces of Sirius' blue color in his trunk, the wand holster gleamed a soft green color from the charms Mr. Weasley had placed on it.

Harry returned to reality with a soft smile on his face, glancing at the clock. His stomach threw a somersault and he sprung up when he realized he was nearly late. Harry stormed out of the dorm, saying his hurried goodbyes to Sei. The youth walked hurriedly through the corridors, not noticing the two figures in the shadowy corner he passed.

"Where's he going?!" Hermione asked quietly, looking down the corridor to where Harry had disappeared. "I can't believe he's doing this again!"

"Let's follow him," Ron said, grabbing Hermione's arm and dragging the girl along as they followed their friend. They soon found that Harry had once again slipped from them and they sighed in aggravation before heading back to the Common Room, mumbling about untrusting friends under their breaths.

Harry stumbled out of the fireplace in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, coughing loudly.

_Can't they make flooing more comfortable??! I'm always covered in ash when I get out and I'm lucky if my head stops it spinning within the hour!_

Harry continued his silent bickering as he walked to the table and grabbed the water can, emptying it completely. He let out a content sigh, noticing some papers on the table looking old but official. Harry walked to them and lifted the first sheet of paper up, his jaw slackening when he read through it.

Harry heard a silent chuckle from the doorway and turned to look at Sirius, the paper still in his hand. "It's a fraud," he said firmly.

"No, it's not," Sirius said and walked towards Harry, waving his wand to clean Harry from the ash.

"You changed Remus' name into yours, then," Harry said.

"Nope. That's the real thing, Sunny boy. Firecall Moony if you don't believe me."

Harry turned his gaze back to the paper.

** ORDINARY WIZADRING LEVEL RESULT **

** _Pass Grades_: **

_Outstanding (O)  
_

_ Exceeds Expectations (E)  
_

_ Acceptable (A) _**  
**

**_Fall Grades_: **

_Poor (P) _

_Dreadful (D)_

_Troll (T)_

**SIRIUS ORION BLACK HAS ACHIEVED:**

_Astronomy_**: A**

_Care of Magical Creatures_**: E**

_Charms_**: O**

_Defense Against the Dark Arts_**: O**

_Runes_**: O**

_Herbology_**: O**

_History of Magic_**: D**

_Potions_**: O**

_Transfiguration_**: O**

Harry turned to look at Sirius again. "Did you bribe the ones who gave the grades?"

"Hey!" Sirius yelled cheerfully. "I said I got top marks!"

"Is that the NEWT results?" Harry asked, pointing to the other paper as he lowered the parchment to the table again.

"Yep. Top score, thank you very much," Sirius said smugly, his eyes flashing in amusement.

Harry made a move to grab the other paper but something under it caught his attention. He lifted it up and just stared at it wordlessly for a long while.

"Harry?" Sirius called out, coming to stand next to the teen.

Harry looked at the photo of his father and Sirius, standing in front of some building. It was clearly summertime as Sirius and James- probably eighteen or nineteen years old- were both lightly clothed and extremely tanned. They were laughing their heads off over something and pushing each other gently once in a while. Harry examined his father's laughing face carefully, seeing the almost scary resemblance. James' eyes were brown and he had slightly sharper features but otherwise they looked exactly the same.

"Harry," Sirius said quietly and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder.

Harry looked up from the picture and into Sirius' eyes. "I really look like him, don't I?" he asked quietly.

Sirius lifted his hands and cupped Harry's cheeks, giving him a short kiss.

"You're you, Harry," Sirius muttered. "You might look like James but that guy was an idiot through and though."

"Kinda harsh to say something like that about your best friend," Harry pointed out.

Sirius chuckled. "Oh, James knew it alright. Lily reminded him of it every other second."

Harry chuckled. "You know, I'd really want to see them," he said quietly, his eyes lowering to the picture again.

"I know, Harry," Sirius said, placing a soft kiss to Harry's temple. "But think positively! You have me!"

"And that's positive?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow as he placed the picture back on the table.

"Of course it is," Sirius said and nibbled Harry's ear affectionately. "You can have mind-blowing sex with me every weekend and spend the week in between lusting after me. Pretty convenient, eh?"

"Whoever said anything about me lusting after you?" Harry inquired as he slid his hands under Sirius shirt, pulling him closer.

Sirius laughed, taking a step back and entwining their fingers. "Come along, Sunny boy. Work before the fun, as they say."

"Siirii," Harry whined but followed Sirius to the library where he sat to the man's lap as soon as he got the chance. "We're alone, right?" he asked as he straddled Sirius on the armchair.

"Kreacher's here somewhere but apart from that, yes," Sirius said as he wound his arms around Harry's waist. "But that doesn't mean we'll be getting hot and heavy here anytime soon."

"Why noot?" Harry grumbled, nibbling Sirius' neck.

"Because I say so, of course," Sirius said with a chuckle, grabbing Harry's head and lifting it up. "You need to practice. That's why you're here."

Harry sighed and drew his wand. "Well, I'll be glad about the fact that I _am_ here."

"Me too," Sirius said. "Never thought I'd be grateful to the old fart for putting up all these protection wards. Now the Ministry can't get any vibes from here."

"I kinda wondered how you managed to round the fact that I'm not supposed to use magic outside school," Harry said with a laugh, summoning a book from the shelf silently.

"I'm a genius," Sirius said smugly before winking. "And you can do those spells already. Go to the more difficult ones."

"But it always slips, no matter how hard I try not to say anything," Harry complained.

"Well," Sirius said, a mischievous glint lighting up in his grey eyes. "We'll just have to make your mouth busy, then."

Harry raised an eyebrow but allowed Sirius to turn him around, taking a comfortable position on the man's lap.

"Summon the bowl from over there," Sirius said and pointed to the corner of the room, pulling Harry tightly against his chest.

"Didn't you just say that I can already do it?"

"Don't argue with the teacher, Harrykins," Sirius said, biting Harry's ear.

When the bowl was on the table next to the armchair Sirius stretched out his hand, grabbing something from it.

"More strawberries?" Harry asked as he saw the fruit.

"You're not allowed to talk here," Sirius said as he placed the strawberry on Harry's lips. "And your mouth will be busy with these for a while so you're not tempted to say the spell out loud. _Start._"

Harry chuckled lightly, starting to go over all the spells, charms, enchantments and incantations he could remember while Sirius kept his mouth 'busy'.

"That's the last one," Sirius announced as Harry opened his mouth to receive yet another strawberry, trying to transform a nearby goblet to a parrot at the same time. "Now I'll have to think about something else to occupy you with as this technique seems to be highly efficient." the man said, snickering devilishly.

Harry swallowed, gasping when Sirius' fingers slipped inside his mouth. He grabbed Sirius' hand and moved it away so that he could speak. "Interesting_ techniques_," he breathed.

"But they work, yeah?" Sirius asked as he tightened his hold on Harry's waist with his other hand. "You've been quiet for the past thirty minutes and managed to get a hell of a lot of spells to work out. So I can't see why you're complaining."

"I'm not," Harry said, chuckling as he squirmed a bit. "But can't we continue later? Please?"

"Five more," Sirius said and slid his fingers back inside Harry's mouth, playing with his tongue.

Harry closed his eyes briefly, forcing himself to concentrate on his spells again. Sirius' fingers were making this almost impossible; caressing every inch of his mouth gently. Harry grabbed Sirius hand and pulled it out again. "I can't concentrate if you keep doing that," he muttered.

"You need to be able to concentrate despite the distractions," Sirius breathed.

"It's easy for you to say," Harry said and squirmed.

"Quit with the bickering," Sirius said and grabbed Harry's neck, bending the youth's head back and licking his ear. "The faster you're done the faster I can fuck your brains out."

"Here?" Harry asked slightly out of breath, his throat twitching under Sirius hand as he swallowed.

"Right here," Sirius confirmed and bit Harry's neck. "Now concentrate."

Harry swallowed again, managing to gather enough concentration to do the charms although they didn't work out perfectly.

"I'll pass that," Sirius said and let go of Harry. "Turn around."

Harry put his wand inside the holster and dropped it to the ground, squirming around so that his legs were over the arms of the chair. Sirius grabbed his neck and crushed their lips together in a rough kiss, opening Harry's robes and sliding them off his shoulders. Harry grasped the fabric of Sirius' shirt faintly as Sirius un-buttoned his shirt, giving Harry's chest a short lick every time it was exposed more.

Sirius moved his lips to Harry's nipple and gave it a kiss, licking it. Harry crooned quietly and bent his head, sliding his hands to Sirius' hair and pressing the man's head more firmly against his chest. Sirius caressed Harry's sides gently as he placed lingering kisses to Harry's stomach, his hair tickling the teen's skin. Harry moved his hips in the slightest and sighed as Sirius' mouth moved up his chest to his jaw line, nibbling it gently. The man's hands pushed Harry's shirt down to the youth's arms, revealing the skin under it to his wet kisses as he seemed to be in no rush at all. Sirius slowly dragged his tongue to the hollow between Harry's collarbones and sucked the spot gently, making Harry groan sweetly and bend his head back even more. Sirius slid his hands to Harry's ass and grabbed it, moving the teen closer still.

Harry lowered his head and lifted Sirius', tilting it so that they could kiss. He opened his mouth hungrily and licked Sirius' lips, making the other man chuckle. Sirius raised his hand from Harry's ass and slipped it into the youth's hair, tugging almost painfully. Harry's head bent back as Sirius pulled gently, revealing his neck. Sirius gave it a long lick; all the way to the tip of Harry's chin before biting the soft flesh tenderly and making Harry let out a gasp.

Sirius traced his fingers down Harry's abdomen feather-lightly, making the teen tense his muscles as it tickled. He turned his hand around and grabbed Harry's groin, rubbing the youth's evident arousal through the pants. Harry crooned again and moved his hips involuntarily, wanting Sirius to touch him harder.

Long fingers opened Harry's pants maddeningly slow before they slipped inside, squeezing his hard-on through the boxers. Harry gasped, moving his hips against Sirius' hand again. When he looked down he saw that Sirius was looking at him with dark eyes, a ghost of a smile on his face. Harry swallowed, feeling a blush creeping to his cheeks under that straight glare.

Sirius grinned lewdly and rubbed Harry a little harder, making him bend his back and grasp the backrest of the armchair as a small moan escaped his lips. Sirius moved his hand towards Harry's ass and massaged the teen's entrance through the fabric with his fingers, his grin widening when Harry's head bent back and his moaning grew louder.

Harry's breathing got heavier and his eyes fluttered half-shut when Sirius kept moving his hand, the other descending to caress Harry's back. His hips followed every movement Sirius made and he was starting to feel way too good.

"Siri…" Harry breathed. His face twisted in pleasure as Sirius rubbed him a bit harder and he whimpered quietly.

"Yeah?" Sirius asked, his hot breathing sweeping over Harry's burning skin.

"Off…" Harry managed to say. He swallowed and tried again. "Pants… off…"

Sirius gave a soft laughter before pulling his hand away. Harry felt the hand sneaking its way between his thighs where it lifted so that Harry had to move his legs and slide off the chair. When he was standing in front of Sirius the hand slid to his ass from between his legs, causing sweet friction.

Harry gasped, his knees bending down until Sirius' hand was practically holding him up. The man slid his hand to the waist of Harry's pants and pulled them down along with his boxers, kissing Harry's stomach lazily. Once they were off Sirius leaned back against the backrest and pulled Harry to sit on his lap, caressing his lower back with the tips of his fingers. Harry slid his hands to Sirius' hair again, enjoying the silky feeling of the locks that went past his fingers.

Harry's shirt was still hanging loosely around his arms and Sirius tugged at the fabric gently behind the teen's back, making Harry move his hands down so that the piece of clothing slid down and into the floor. Sirius grabbed Harry's wrists in one hand behind the teen's back, making him arch his chest towards Sirius' waiting mouth. With a smug smirk Sirius bit Harry's nipple again, earning a small gasp before he moved up and claimed Harry's mouth, thrusting his tongue inside.

Harry yanked his hands, trying to free them, but Sirius only tightened his grip and grabbed the back of Harry's neck, immobilizing him completely for a kiss that was deep, passionate and definitely took away Harry's breath. When Sirius finally retreated from Harry's mouth and their lips parted Harry took a long, shivering breath, his eyes gleaming. With a chuckle Sirius released Harry's wrists, bringing the youth's hand to his lips and giving his fingers a long lick before sucking them gently. Harry watched Sirius with dark eyes, his chest rising heavily with every ragged breath he took.

Sirius slipped Harry's fingers from his mouth and placed them on Harry's entrance, pressing in. Harry gasped as his own fingers entered his ass, his back arching. Sirius' fingers joined his and Harry crooned quietly, rocking his hips against their hands. Then Sirius' fingers hit his prostate, making his whole body arch in pleasure. Harry's fingers slipped out and he continued to move his hips according to the thrusts Sirius made with his fingers until Sirius pulled them out.

Sirius slid both of his hands to Harry's hair and kissed him again while Harry's fingers fumbled with Sirius' pants, trying to open them. He moaned into the kiss when Sirius' hand travelled back to his ass and the man's fingers teased his entrance. Harry lifted his head in the slightest and moved his hips, clutching the fabric of Sirius' pants in his hands tightly. The rough denim rubbed against Harry's burning skin as he moved, Sirius' hand on top of his ass.

"Fuck me, Siri, please," Harry breathed, moaning when Sirius moved.

Sirius adjusted his upper body and grabbed the hem of his t-shirt, removing the garment. Harry's hands were immediately around him and the teen was nibbling and licking Sirius' neck, still moving his hips and grinding them against Sirius. Harry managed to open Sirius pants and give his hard-on a long stroke, making the other man moan and flop his head against the backrest.

Harry was about to slip off Sirius when a hand closed around his wrist and swirling grey eyes met with emerald.

"How about we make this educative as well," Sirius said and grinned lecherously. "Get your wand."

Harry's eyes widened and he turned to look at the floor where his holster laid. He reached for it and managed to grab it, the move resulting to the fact that he was lying on top of Sirius legs and the man took full advantage, licking Harry's stomach and giving his erection a short stroke.

Harry rose extremely fast and grasped the backrest again. "Now… what?" he asked, his voice trembling and shaky.

"Now," Sirius said and licked Harry's shoulder. "You take that charming stick and perform a Slicking Charm. Silently."

Harry swallowed and took his wand out, trying to concentrate. He lowered the wand between them and said the spell inside his head, making Sirius' cock become extremely slippery.

"Very good," Sirius said with a chuckle. He grabbed Harry's waist and lifted him up, placing the teen's ass on top of his cock.

Harry grabbed the armrest and arched his body as Sirius slowly pushed him down until he was sitting firmly in the man's lap. A small whimper escaped Harry's lips as Sirius placed a hand to his lower back and pressed, making Harry move his hips. Sirius' other hand grabbed Harry's and entwined their fingers, resting on Harry's thigh.

Harry started to move his hips slowly and small gasps escaped his lips once in a while when Sirius' cock hit his prostate. Harry moved a bit faster and hummed loudly, his back arching as he tightened his grip on Sirius' hand.

Sirius slid his free hand to Harry's neck, massaging it gently. Harry closed his eyes and a small drop of sweat glided down his face, making him shudder.

"Sirius…" Harry moaned and opened his eyes to look at the man under him. He rested his forehead against Sirius' and wound his arm around the other man's neck, releasing his grip from the arm if the chair. "Deeper," Harry breathed. "Want you deeper, Siri."

Sirius kissed Harry gently and lifted him from his lap, sliding the teen to the floor. He stood up and let his jeans drop to the floor as he grabbed Harry's hand.

"Down," Sirius said and kneeled. Harry soon followed, going to lie on his back. He spread his legs and Sirius slipped between them, lifting Harry's legs to his shoulders as he grabbed Harry's waist and thrust in with a harsh move. Harry moaned and stretched out his hands, grabbing Sirius neck and pulling him for a kiss as the man continued to move. Sirius grabbed Harry's wrists and slammed them to the floor, pinning the teen down and rising up. Harry's back arched even more as his hips moved along with Sirius' hard thrusts, a soft whimper escaping his lips. Sirius entwined their fingers again and bent his head, kissing Harry deeply and moaning into his mouth as he felt Harry tighten and the warmth of his cum spreading to their stomachs. Sirius broke the kiss, lowering his head to rest it on the floor next to Harry's as he sighed his release.

Harry awoke from his half-unconscious state when Sirius moved and slid Harry's legs to the floor, pulling away. He moaned sweetly and cracked an eye open, looking at Sirius.

"What time is it?" Harry muttered.

Sirius kissed Harry softly and turned to look at the clock in the wall. "About two," he said before slumping back on top of Harry, leaning his head to his hand. "Your lesson at eight again?"

"Yeah," Harry said, stretching. "So, now that you've proven that you indeed know something in general, how 'bout helping me with my homework?"

"Does it mean I have to put my clothes on?" Sirius asked and nibbled Harry's neck.

"At least your jeans," Harry said and sat up slowly, rubbing his face. "Otherwise this won't be going anywhere," he added with a lewd smile.

Sirius sighed exaggeratedly and reached for his jeans. Harry grabbed his wand and cleaned them both before fishing out his boxers and putting them on along with his pants. He pulled a book, parchment, quill and ink out of his pocket and un-shrank them, crawling to the coffee-table near them. Sirius followed and sat behind Harry, wrapping his hands around the teen's waist and peering over his shoulder.

"Potions?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, his face a bit sour. "We have to write two parchments about some potion that I don't get at all."

"Professor Black at your service," Sirius said, his eyes scanning the pages of the book.

Harry laughed. "Professor, eh? Can I have remedial instruction?"

"Let's see what cha got," Sirius said and rested his head on Harry's shoulder.

"Do you like cooking?" Sirius asked suddenly when Harry had struggled with his essay for a while.

"I do. Why?" Harry wiped his forehead with his fingers, leaving an ink stain behind.

"Then what's the big deal with Potions? It's nearly the same thing," Sirius said, his fingers caressing Harry's sides gently.

"No it's not," Harry said, chuckling. "If I cook –which only happens in the Dursley's- I don't have the Greasy Git hovering over me and breathing in my neck."

"But doesn't that Aunt of yours do that?" Sirius asked, kissing the back of Harry's neck and making him squirm.

"She's too busy spying the neighbors or polishing every surface. What's your point?"

"My point," Sirius said and stretched, pressing his body firmly against Harry's, "Is that when you cook, you put certain ingredients in, blaa blaa and puff, you have food. Same with the Potions. You read the list, get the ingredients, put them in, stir a bit and puff, you have a potion."

"It's not that simple," Harry crumbled and hunched his shoulders.

"Of course it is," Sirius said.

"No it isn't!" Harry insisted. "I do it all correctly but I still end up getting a fail-mark."

"Why?"

"If I knew, do you think I'd endure the bat's mocking and sarcastic remarks during every lesson?" Harry muttered bitterly.

"We do a test, then," Sirius said.

"What kinda?" Harry asked and turned to look at Sirius suspiciously.

"What d'you think? We make a Potion, of course."

"Here?" Harry inquired.

"In the kitchen," Sirius said cheerfully and stood up, pulling Harry with him.

"What d'you wanna make?"

"Err… Something simple?" Harry smiled sheepishly and grabbed his book, scanning over the pages.

"How about an Energy Potion? You might need it later," Sirius asked innocently.

"I might?" Harry's eyes swept over Sirius. "Do I need to remind you once again that I'm going to sit at least four hours this very evening?"

"So? I didn't suggest anything," Sirius said and winked, dragging Harry downstairs and into the kitchen.

* * *

Okay, so, as it's so so so close to summer already, I think you're all just dying to make this humble Author even more happier by reviewing. Right?


	23. Chapter 23

Well, hello again! Here I am, presenting yet another chapter for you! Aren't you all just loving me? Well, of course you are, you-

Harry: Ahem, do excuse Dowash, I think she lost a few Sickles of that famous Galleon just the other day.I bet its the summer...

Dowash: What?! What're you talking about, dear Harry?! I'm as sane as ever!

Harry: *raises an eyebrow* you do realize that isn't saying much, Dowash?

Dowash: *huffs* insulting me... that little... and here I was kind to him and wrote him and Sirius going at it at the start of this chapter... *mutters* I NEED COUNSELING!

Harry: Then go to the bottom to whine, okay! Oh! Me and Sirius would like to thank all of you for the wonderful reviews we've gotten so far! And we hope you enjoy this chapter!

---

You heard the bloke ;)

_Harry thinking_

* * *

The weeks seemed to slip by at an unjust pace as Harry learned more dueling, Ancient Magic and Runes each passing day until it was suddenly only a few weeks before the OWLs were due to start. The Runes-lessons were nearly skipped by now as Dumbledore spent the evenings explaining to Harry about the primary things in Ancient Magic and its usage. After these lessons Harry's brains literally ached as he learned new things at an alarmingly fast pace. And then Sirius suddenly said that Harry couldn't come to Grimmauld Place anymore during the weekends.

"Why can't I come anymore?" Harry asked as he and Sirius lay on the man's bed, under the covers.

"You already know everything you need to know about silent magic, Harry," Sirius said, caressing the teen's back faintly. "There's nothing more to teach you. Now it's just a matter of practicing."

"Well, I must say that your techniques of teaching are efficient," Harry muttered against Sirius chest, trying to suppress a smirk.

"They are, aren't they?" Sirius said smugly, pecking Harry's hair.

Harry laughed and sat up, the sheets sliding down his body and pooling around his waist. "I think I'll go and take a shower," he stated, slipping from the bed. "You coming?"

Sirius grinned and took Harry's offered hand, biting the youth's knuckles as they walked to the bathroom. Harry turned the hot water on, tilting his head back and letting the warmth pour over his body, enjoying the feeling of it caressing his skin. Sirius came to stand behind him and circled the teen in his arms, resting his head atop of Harry's.

Harry slid his hand to Sirius' hip and let out a sigh as the man's fingers closed around his prick, stroking gently. Sirius trailed his lips feather-lightly over Harry's shoulder and to his ear, biting the soft flesh before licking it. Droplets of water formed in the tip of Harry's earring and dropped to his chest as Sirius' hand slid into the youth's hair, collecting it and tilting Harry's head to the side, the man's mouth sucking the spot where Harry's pulse beat fast.

Sirius pressed their bodies more firmly against each other and moved his hips, rubbing his front to Harry's ass and making them both moan. He pushed Harry forward gently until the teen was pressed against the wall, water dripping from his body. Sirius slid a finger inside Harry, making him gasp as his head fell to lean on the cool tiles. Harry bit his lip and offered his ass even more, thrusting towards Sirius' hand. The hot water pounded to Harry's lower back, somehow magnifying the pleasure as Sirius slipped a second finger in and pressed hard before pulling them out almost fully. Harry's back bent as his hips followed Sirius' fingers, his legs spreading even wider.

Sirius stroked Harry's hard-on and the teen muffled a loud moan, pressing his head to his arms. Sirius added a third finger and moved them gently before changing his angle, hitting Harry's prostate. A violent shudder coursed through the youth's body and his legs bent, a whimper escaping his lips as Sirius removed his fingers and pressed his cock to Harry's entrance, rubbing it slowly.

Harry pressed back with his hips and got Sirius to enter him, making the man chuckle faintly as he grasped Harry's waist in his hands. Sirius pressed inside slowly and Harry slumped flat against the wall, his body arching as his hand slid to Sirius' waist again. Sirius pulled out and pressed back in slowly, making Harry squirm.

"Faster," Harry breathed, his eyes gleaming.

"No can do, Sunny boy," Sirius said, biting Harry's neck. "One hard thrust and you go flying across the room."

"I can't stand it… if you go slowly," Harry muttered, tilting his head and pressing it against the cool tiles. "I want you to be hard."

"But I am," Sirius said with laugh, moving his hips. "Think it like this," he murmured as he continued to rock their bodies under the stream of hot water. "The slower I go, the longer it takes for you to come."

Harry groaned as Sirius' cock brushed over his prostate, hitting his legs limp. Sirius pressed the teen firmly against the wall and stroked his hard-on, his other hand sliding to Harry's hair again and tilting the youth's head back. Harry's hand slid on the slippery wall as he tried to find something to clutch onto, finally landing atop Sirius' hand in his hair and squeezing it. Sirius placed Harry's hand back to the wall and entwined their fingers while he continued to stroke Harry's cock in a slow motion, in unison with his thrusts.

Slowly their breathing got more and more heavy as Sirius kept moving his hips, now hitting Harry's prostate at every lazy thrust he made. Harry leaned his head against the tiles again and thrust back, wanting Sirius to penetrate him even deeper. Suddenly Sirius thrust with his hips harder than before and stroked Harry at the same time, surprising him. Harry yelped and his legs gave in as the waves of pleasure overwhelmed him, his body arching and pressing even harder against the cool tiles as he spilled his release to Sirius' hand.

Sirius started to pull out but Harry grabbed his waist. "Come inside me," the youth murmured, turning his head to look at Sirius with glazed eyes.

Sirius tilted his head before thrusting back in again, more forcefully this time, making Harry groan. It only took Sirius about ten thrusts before he sighed almost inaudibly and Harry felt cum entering his ass.

Sirius retreated and pulled Harry with him so that the teen was leaning to Sirius' chest, the water pouring over them and cleaning their bodies. Sirius turned Harry around, tracing his fingers to Harry's ass where he could feel the cum dripping out.

"You know, you're becoming more and more lewd as the days pass," Sirius remarked as he caressed Harry's ass.

"You think so?" Harry asked drowsily before he opened one eye, looking up at Sirius.

Sirius smirked widely. "Not that I mind. You're cute when you talk dirty."

Harry chuckled and rested his head on Sirius' chest. "I'm fifteen, Sirius. You can't say I'm cute."

"Why not?" Sirius asked as he turned the water off, nearly carrying Harry out of the shower and to the table under the mirror.

"Because," Harry said weakly, shaking his head and trying to clear it.

"You have no real argument here, Sunny boy. Which means I can call you cute," Sirius said and grabbed a towel, starting to dry Harry's body.

Harry snorted. "Can the cute boy dry himself?"

"The cute boy can't dry himself," Sirius said. "His dirty-minded lover wishes to do it."

"I see. And would the cute boy's dirty-minded lover bring the cute boy some clothes?"

"The cute boy's dirty-minded lover doesn't want to bring clothes to the cutie."

"And why is that, oh dirty-minded lover of mine?" Harry asked, a small smile playing on his lips.

"The dirty-minded lover likes to see his cute lover without any clothes at all." Sirius said and finished his drying, now moving to dry himself.

"And can the dirty-minded lover's cute lover return the favor and dry the dirty-minded lover?" Harry asked, sliding down from the table gingerly.

"The dirty-minded lover can consider that option if the cute boy kisses him," Sirius said.

Harry laughed. "A bargain?"

"Yup," Sirius said. "The kind which profits both sides."

Harry snickered and grabbed the towel around Sirius' neck, pulling the man's face down and brushing his lips against Sirius's before letting go again.

"You call that a kiss?" Sirius mock-whined.

"Our bargain held no restrictions whatsoever as to what kind of a kiss it should be," Harry stated impishly and grabbed the towel, starting to dry Sirius' hair.

"No fair!" Sirius exclaimed, his voice a bit muffled and Harry giggled. He dried Sirius and tossed the towel to the table before grabbing Sirius head and giving him a proper, passionate kiss. Sirius immediately wound his arms around Harry and pulled him closer.

"How's that?" Harry asked as he pulled back.

"Better," Sirius muttered, sweeping his lips against Harry's. He bit Harry's lower lip gently before sucking it, playing with Harry's piercing.

"And now the clothes," Harry said and pulled away, walking to the bathroom door.

"You're so mean!" Sirius whined as he followed Harry back to the bedroom.

"It's almost eight. I need to leave." Harry said with a dashing smile and slipped to his boxers.

"So you're just going to leave me here?" Sirius asked with a pout, approaching Harry after putting his pants on.

"You were the one who said I can't come here anymore. Suck it up."

"I'd love to," Sirius said, taking another step closer and slipping his hand inside Harry's boxers.

Harry chuckled and tried to pull Sirius hand away. "You really like to do that, huh?"

"It's fun," Sirius admitted as he pushed Harry towards the bed, massaging his hardening member gently. "Extremely so when you get hard if I touch you even in the slightest." Sirius licked his lips, pushing gently and getting Harry to sit at the edge of the bed.

Harry bent his head back, leaning to his hands as Sirius yanked his boxers down and blew some warm air to his once again hardening cock. Sirius gave it a small lick before looking up at Harry.

"On the other hand, I think I'll stop here," the man said with a devilish grin and stood up, taking a step back. "As you seemed be in such a hurry to leave."

"Oy!" Harry yelled and Sirius snickered. "Mouth back here!"

"Or?"

"Or I'll tie you to the bed and torture you," Harry said and jerked his head. "Now come back."

Sirius walked back next to the bed but didn't move from there.

"Sii-rii," Harry whined, poking Sirius' leg with his toes. "Come on, you can't leave me like this!"

"Ahh, I remember you saying something like that a few months ago," Sirius said and rubbed his chin, looking to the distance. "It had remotely something to do with the fact that I cuffed you and let you sit in the kitchen counter with an aching hard-on. Remember?" Sirius shot Harry a dashing smile.

"Vividly." Harry swallowed and took a shivering breath. "Now could you please do something about this?" he asked, giving a meaningful glance to his groin.

Sirius snickered and lowered himself to stand on his knees as he took a hold of the waistband in Harry's boxers, sliding them down tantalizingly slow. He made a show of how he dangled them in his fingers before letting them slip past his fingers, the garment disappearing to the floor. Sirius leaned on Harry's thigh, his arm over it as he rested his head on his hand.

"Is there a moment you're _not_ hard when you're around me?" Sirius inquired, his warm breath hitting Harry's cock and making him twitch.

"I think we went through this earlier but again, I ask: would you want there to be?" Harry tilted his head and looked Sirius straight in the eyes.

"No," Sirius said and gave Harry's cock a long lick. Harry gasped and slumped to the bed, his fingers sliding into Sirius hair as the man took the tip of Harry's cock into his mouth. Harry tried to resist the urge to buck with his hips when Sirius slid his mouth over his hard-on, the man's tongue swirling around the tip. A soft moan escaped the youth's lips and he bent his back when Sirius took him in fully, sucking hard. No matter Harry'd come only fifteen minutes ago, he cried out his release only after a few minutes.

Sirius chuckled, kissing Harry's thigh and slipping the youth back to his boxers before standing up. "You're gonna be late if you don't put some move in that ass," he said, nudging Harry's shin with his leg.

"And whose fault might that be," Harry muttered, slowly standing up.

"You weren't resisting that much," Sirius remarked with a wide grin, picking his shirt from the floor.

"You're hard to resist," Harry said and gathered his clothes, staring to button his shirt.

"I know that," Sirius said, watching Harry jump on one foot as the teen put on his pants and socks.

"Sure you do," Harry snorted. "And you use it against me all the time."

Sirius' grin widened as he threw Harry's tie around the teen's neck, tying it. Harry scooped his robes up from the floor and flung them on before hunting down his shoes, glancing at the clock.

"Crap," the youth muttered, snatching his wand-holster before running out of the room and down the stairs. He was joined with Padfoot, looking up at him as innocently as only dogs can when the youth shot him a murderous glare.

Sirius turned back to human when they reached the kitchen, grabbing Harry's arm.

"Siri, I'm already late," Harry said but didn't resist as Sirius cupped his cheek and gave him a long kiss. Rather, he turned around even more and buried his hands to the silkiness before pulling back reluctantly, biting his lower lip.

"See ya," Sirius said with a wink.

Harry pecked Sirius on the lips before turning to the fireplace, taking some of the floopowder.

"Hogwarts, Headmaster's office," Harry yelled, stepping into the flames after a last glance at Sirius.

"Good evening, Harry."

Harry coughed the ash out of his mouth before raising his head, seeing the Headmaster. "Evening, Professor," he said. "Sorry I'm late. Blame the idiot who claims to be my Godfather."

Dumbledore smiled. "It's quite alright, Harry. It's only two minutes past, after all. Shall we?" Dumbledore led the way to the library once again and Harry waved his wand, cleaning his clothes.

They sat down and Dumbledore looked at Harry sternly over his half-moon spectacles. "The five basics in Ancient Magic?"

"The origin must not be tampered with, Runes required, in some spells an indemnity required, the greater the magical power, the greater the damage might be and sometimes the magic don't need words at all," Harry said.

"Very good, Harry," Dumbledore said with a nod. "Now, we can concentrate on your wandless magic for a while."

"It's still overstating a little, Professor," Harry said.

"But not nearly as greatly as in the beginning, Harry," Dumbledore said, smiling benevolently. "This is why I want you to try and do your Patronus wandlessly."

"But," Harry spluttered. "I can't even do it silently, Professor!"

"Have you tried?" The Headmaster asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, no," Harry muttered, blushing faintly. In truth he hadn't even thought about doing anything like that. "I don't think I'll be able to, Professor."

"Only one way to find out," Dumbledore said. "Wand out and cast your Patronus, Harry."

Harry reached for his wand in its holster, raising it. He racked his brain for his happiest memory and settled with the one where Sirius told him he loved him. A huge grin lit Harry's face as he thought the words 'Expecto Patronum'.

To Harry's huge surprise his stag erupted from the tip of his wand, galloping around the room few times before disappearing.

"Now without your wand, Harry."

Harry swallowed hard and put his wand back to its holster. He raised his hand in the slightest and this time said the spell out loud.

"Expecto Patronum," Harry murmured. He had taken the habit to murmur his every spell, trying to will out the habit of yelling them. Harry felt something, like an electric shock, coursing through his body and the bookshelf on his right exploded with a deafening bang, the whole room engulfed in a blinding light. He gasped and his hand fell to his lap, his eyes wider that dinner plates as he took in the havoc. Harry swirled to look at the Headmaster, his mouth already open to form an apology. But the old wizard had his hand up, waving it dismissively as the bookshelf repaired itself.

"What happened?" Dumbledore asked after lowering his hand again, his head tilting in curiosity. "Evaluate what you did, Harry."

"Well, I-" Harry sputtered, twisting his robes a his brow furrowed. "I tried to perform the Patronus charm as you ordered, Professor."

"Yes, and?" the Headmaster pressed on, entwining his fingers on the table. "Go through it. Step by step. Learn."

The frown on Harry's face deepened as he stared into the air, trying to understand. "I don't get it," he said finally.

"_Think_, Harry," Dumbledore said benevolently. "Use your head. Go over it. Repeat. And then answer me: what went wrong?"

Harry sighed and leaned his elbows to the table, his head falling to his hands. This was exactly why his head ached so much after every of these lessons. Dumbledore had suddenly started to put huge efforts in torturing him by puzzling questions and self-contemplation. Every time something went wrong even in the slightest the Professor made sure Harry understood thoroughly and completely why it had happened as it had. The youth closed his eyes, trying to bring back the moment he'd casted the spell. The memory he'd used to create the spell kept bugging him, swimming to the surface of his mind and taking his concentration. Harry's eyes flung open and his head rose, his hands falling to the table.

"I didn't concentrate enough, is that it, Professor?" the youth asked, his head tilting. He smiled when the Professor nodded curtly, feeling satisfaction.

"I have told you over and over again," the old wizard said with a smile. "That wandless magic requires all of your concentration. If you allow your mind to get disturbed by something when you're about to cast a spell… well." Dumbledore pointed to the bookshelf. "That's exactly what happens. The magic is more powerful when not channeled, surely you remember that?"

"I do, Professor," Harry said hurriedly. "Sorry," he added.

"No need to apologize, dear boy," Dumbledore said. "I am merely urging you to remember why not so many wish to even practice wandless magic. But, when you get hold of it completely, you shall realize it is actually easier than using wand."

"Umm, why, Professor?" Harry asked, entwining his fingers as well.

"Well, for one," the old wizards said, twirling his beard between two long fingers. "In a duel, it has the element of surprise. Almost everybody automatically assumes you're completely defenseless if they take away your wand, you see. The other thing is speed. Now that you have more or less mastered silent magic, the speed of your spell-casting should improve as well. When you don't need to use your time to say the spells out loud, it allows you to fire them more frequently and faster as well."

"Then why doesn't everyone do that?" Harry questioned. "Especially now, why isn't everyone training for wandless and silent magic?"

Dumbledore smiled nearly condescendingly. "Laziness, I'm afraid," he said, shaking his head. "As you have come to notice, it isn't that easy to grasp a tight hold of your magic without a wand. Silent magic is taught here, but not until sixth year."

"Yeah, Hermione told me about that," Harry said. "She said she'd asked Professor McGonagall."

Dumbledore nodded. "Now," he said, straightening in the slightest. "Try to cast the Patronus charm again and this time keep your mind together, okay?"

"Okay, Professor," Harry said, smiling. He didn't move a muscle, only closing his eyes and letting the memory of him and Sirius in the bathroom back then fill him. The youth's mouth formed into a smile as he let the happiness fill him, almost feeling the man's warm chest against his cheek. "Expecto Patronum," he muttered, not opening his eyes when he felt the rush of magic coursing through him. He heard the small change in the air, a soft breeze caressing his face.

The youth opened one eye and chuckled when he saw his Patronus, standing right by his side and looking down to him. He raised his hand to tap the magnificent animal's neck when it dissolved into the air, leaving a warm feeling behind.

"Very good, Harry," Dumbledore said from somewhere far away and the youth pulled his mind back from his memorizing, the smile still on his face as he looked at the Headmaster. "Would you care to try it silently as well?"

Harry's eyes widened in the slightest and his mouth opened before he snapped it close again, shrugging. "I can always try," he said with a grin. Dumbledore nodded and Harry called the memory back, letting it fill every corner of his body before he concentrated hard, saying the incantation inside his head. But instead of a stag erupting Harry was engulfed in bright white light that blinded him before disappearing. When the youth got his vision back he saw that Dumbledore was grinning widely.

"Very good, m'boy, very good," Dumbledore chuckled, caressing his beard. "Wouldn't expect anything less from you, nothing less."

"Umm, Professor?" Harry asked, completely bewildered. "What're you saying? The spell didn't work."

"It worked perfectly, Harry," Dumbledore said, still chuckling.

"But that wasn't my stag, Professor," Harry said and frowned.

"Indeed it wasn't. But it didn't need to be."

"I'm not following here, Professor," Harry said, his frown deepening. He was still feeling so astonished he'd actually been able to do the spell without saying anything that he nearly missed what Dumbledore said next, still completely engulfed with the feeling of it.

"You see, sometimes, when a Patronus is performed silently and _without_ the wand, it doesn't take a form at all."

"Huh?" Harry asked, dragging his ears to the 'receive' gear again. "What's the point in that, Professor?"

"You see," Dumbledore said, leaning back on his chair. "When you perform it without your wand, the spell goes through your whole body. It needn't take a form when it's already around you, protecting."

"But why does the Patronus take a form when it's performed with a wand?" Harry asked, leaning to the table. "Why can't it be just a ball of light or something?"

"Because," Dumbledore said, smiling at Harry. "When you use your wand, you channel your powers and force the spell to take a form."

"But aren't Patronuses animals, Professor?"

"Indeed they are."

"I don't understand, Professor. Then why's my Patronus a stag?"

"That is indeed a very good question. The same as why mine is a phoenix and Remus', for example, a cat. Magic is mighty, Harry. We don't need to understand it all the time."

"What did you see, Professor?" Harry asked. "When I did my Patronus silently, without my wand, Was it really just a flash on light?"

"For now, yes," Dumbledore said. "There are other spells that react the same way when done without a wand and non-verbally. The peculiar thing is that they all tend to take a slightly different form."

"Form, Professor?"

Dumbledore inclined his head and suddenly there was a flash of light, this time coming from the old wizard, and Harry could've sworn he saw a phoenix with its wings spread before the light disappeared.

"Wow," Harry said. "Was that your Patronus, Professor?"

"Indeed it was," Dumbledore said. "You understand what I mean now?"

"I think so, yeah, Professor," Harry said. "What are the other spells that react like that?"

"There's quite a few of them, actually, but we'll delve into them tomorrow," Dumbledore said. "Do you remember when I mentioned about Magic burning the caster, should it be let to control?"

"I do, Professor," Harry answered. "You also mentioned that there're some exceptions."

"The exception confirms the rule, as they say," Dumbledore said. "There are some cases of the oldest Ancient Magic where it is required to let the Magic control you. And this has something to do with meditation as well."

"What kind of cases, Professor? And how does meditation fit in to it?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dumbledore smiled at Harry. "Sometimes," he started, "In some exceptional circumstances, it is required for the enchantment to work that you let the Magic guide you."

"But won't it burn you to death?" Harry asked and frowned.

"The Magic in itself won't burn you," Dumbledore said. "It's the amount that kills you. Too much power in too a short period of time. The body can't hold up."

"But how-"

"Tell me Harry, have you wandered around, so to speak, while meditating?"

"Yeah," Harry said slowly. Actually he'd done that just last night when he just couldn't sleep.

"I'm sure you've noticed that the magic around you tends to look a bit different depending what you're looking at, correct?"

"Yes," Harry said, now leaning his chin to his palm.

"Well… As I already told you, the colors you see are magic. _Pure_ magic. It courses around here freely and because we are all more or less magical ourselves, we don't get affected by it. But… Have you ever happened to try and 'touch' something while meditating, Harry?"

"Eh?" Harry asked, his eyes widening. "That's possible?! I thought I couldn't do anything, just watch. Although even that gives me a headache if I try too hard," he confessed, shrugging.

"Yes, well," Dumledore said, smiling benevolently. "It is indeed possible. How about you try it sometime? Perhaps when you go back to your dorm tonight? But try touching something small, I wouldn't want you ending up in the infirmary with the O. getting so close."

"How does it happen, Professor?" Harry asked, leaning forward in his eagerness to hear. "The touching?"

"Quite simple," Dumbledore said. "You just start to meditate, slip to the state where you can see the magic, and decide on an object. You can travel closer to it inside your head- well, not precisely in your head- and stretch out an imaginary arm."

"Oh, okay! Like I tried to touch my magic!" Harry said, understanding lighting his eyes.

"You tried touching it?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Harry somewhat sternly which made Harry feel slightly taken aback.

"Yeah, well… When I first meditated and discovered it," Harry explained, wondering if he'd done something wrong. "I'd nearly touched it when I just got this feeling I shouldn't be doing it and… well, I didn't."

Dumbledore clearly relaxed, the smile returning to his face. "Good, very good," he said, now fingering his beard again. "You can examine your magic as much as you want, but I wouldn't advice you to touch it. It might get slightly- complicated."

"I understand, Professor," Harry said, nodding.

Dumbledore nodded as well before chuckling lightly. "Now, to get back to the subject at hand," he said, taking a more comfortable position on the chair. "If you let the magic course through you, not restricting it, not restraining it, it won't burn you. It's because humans yearn to have control over everything that they try to grasp the power flooding through them and bend it to their will and thus burning themselves when their bodies can't handle the crushing pressure of the Magic."

"But why would they try to do so in the first place, Professor?" Harry asked, tilting his head. "If they try to perform Magic like that, surely they know of the risks and have prepared themselves, right?"

"But they make a fatal mistake in forgetting that they're humans, Harry. As I said, we have a tendency in wanting to control everything."

"But then that kind of Magic is impossible to perform!" Harry exclaimed.

"No it isn't," Dumbledore said. "We have proof of it, although I myself have never dared to try."

"Proof, Professor?" Harry asked. "Where?"

"Right here," Dumbledore said, waving his hand.

"Where?" Harry asked stupidly.

"This very school is a proof of that," Dumbledore said.

"How, Professor?" Harry asked.

"This castle is built upon one of the strongest Magical currents in the Great-Britain," Dumbledore explained. "When the four founders created this place, they tied it to the current. That's where the wards get their strength and that's why the castle stays unchanged."

"Magical currents, Professor?" Harry asked. "What're those?"

"They course through the ground all around the world. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are built on top of similar currents. In those currents, magic is in its wildest and most dangerous form. They should not be taken lightly. What you see when meditating are just echoes from that current."

"What stops those currents from bursting out, Professor?" Harry asked, clearly remembering how strong the magic had felt just around the Gryffindor dorm.

Dumbledore shook his head. "There's no knowledge about that. The currents have always been and they will always be, regardless of the state of the world."

"Is there a way to get into contact with those currents?" Harry asked,

"There is," Dumbledore said and looked at Harry extremely solemnly. "But one must never go and tamper with them lightheartedly. It always takes a payment. The greater the need, the greater the cost will be."

"Need, Professor?"

"For example, I could use the current to move Hogwarts into a different spot along it. But the cost would be great."

"What would it be, Professor?"

"I'd say all of the students residing here, along with the teachers and house-elves."

"You mean they'd die?" Harry asked incredulously.

"They would die, yes. It's always an exchange, Harry."

"Then what about touching things while meditating? Isn't it the same thing?" Harry asked, wiping his hair from his face.

"Not really," Dumbledore said. "Echoes, Harry. The things you see are just echoes, remember that. Plus, most of the magical objects have some sort of power themselves or they are under an enchantment. They aren't tied to the current per se."

"A-ha," Harry said, but it was clear he wasn't quite following.

Dumbledore smiled. "I'll clear this a bit for you," he said, waving his wand. "Let's imagine that this book is the castle. It's an entity of its own, completely ignorant of the rest of the world. These are the students, teachers, house-elf's and so-on and so-on." Dumbledore waved his wand again and numerous little statues came to lie against the book. "They're not tied to the current in any way, they have a magic of their own. Every witch and wizard has a kind of a miniature current inside them, that's where their magic comes from. So, they both 'live' their separate lives, the current and humans, and the current stays where it's supposed to be. But it is possible for someone to open a sort of a pathway to the current and momentarily tack and bend the power to their will. But as I already said, it's always an exchange. The current gives, but it also takes. Not to mention it is nearly impossible to even reach the moment when you can offer your request to the current."

"Offer?" Harry asked. "You mean the current is alive, Professor?"

"Not in a way we understand 'alive'," Dumbledore said. "But some are willing to believe it has a sort of a consciousness."

"How's that possible?" Harry asked, frowning. "It doesn't have brains, now does it?"

"But do we need brains to be conscious?" Dumbledore asked, tilting his head.

Harry opened his mouth before closing it again, shaking his head. "Scratch that. I've seen evil books and a lot of other odd stuff so I guess I should believe when someone tells me something I can't even see has a consciousness."

"No, Harry," Dumbledore said, sounding stern again. "Don't believe something or someone just because you think they're correct. Use your own brains to figure things out. If you can't prove that the current exists, don't believe in it. Make the choice, but don't believe it just because someone older and with more grey hair said so."

Harry chuckled faintly before nodding, leaning back on his chair. "I think I understand, Professor," he said. "I might try it tonight, if I can't sleep."

"Is something the matter?" Dumbledore asked immediately, sounding worried. A bit too worried in Harry's opinion.

"No, nothing at all, Professor," Harry assured. "It's just that it's getting somewhat crowded inside my head these days. New things keep coming up from every direction, so it takes a while to calm down."

"Ah, I see," Dumbledore said. "Well, you can always come and talk with me if you wish. I can get you a Pensieve if you feel the need for that."

"No thank you, Professor," Harry said, smiling. "I think I'll keep my thoughts inside my skull for now."

"Vey well," Dumbledore said, nodding and returning the smile. "Good night, then, Harry."

"Good night, Professor," Harry replied, standing up and going to the door. He sighed in relief as he walked down the staircase, halting behind the stone gargoyle. The youth took out the Map and muttered the activation words, lighting his wand to get a good look. He massaged his lower back faintly before pulling out the Cloak, flinging it over his head as he stepped to the corridor.

Harry managed to avoid the ghosts on his way to the Common room, groaning at his misfortune when he saw the empty painting.

"Fuck," the youth muttered under his breath, sliding a hand through his hair. He sighed in annoyance and parked himself on the other side of the corridor, opposite to the painting of the Fat Lady. Crossing his arms and legs, the youth took a comfortable position on the floor, leaning his back to the wall. He glanced at his clock and saw it was only half past nine, not the latest of times he'd come back from the Headmaster's office. Harry cursed again, condemning the Lady to the deepest circle of hell because she was away at a time like this. His ass hurt already and the cold stone-floor wasn't really helping his state at all. With another sigh that welled deep from his body Harry closed his eyes, deciding that this would be as good a time to meditate as ever.

A deep breath after the other, Harry concentrated on feeling his body, every bit of it. He let his senses tell everything they could from the surrounding world, allowing his mind to calm down when the sensations washed over the surface of it. Harry let the memories of the day order themselves in his head, smiling when he recalled the lesson with Sirius that evening. He let those memories pass, slowly slipping deeper and deeper until he was meditating. The calmness that greeted him was bliss, every of his worries of the upcoming O. and the distant distress of Voldemort fading away until it was only the ringing silence and peace inside his head.

Harry slipped even deeper and felt the smile curling his lips when the colors burst into his sight, the low humming in his ears calming as the world kept bombing him with stimuli. The pure whiteness was there, swirling everywhere and forming into the corridor before dissolving again and dropping Harry to the swirl of colors. There were so many of them Harry couldn't even register it all, the organized cacophony of it all calming his mind. He looked at the painting in front of him, seeing it shift and change but still staying as a frame as the whiteness and grayness and colorfulness tossed and turned it to every direction. The wind Harry perceived to be there took hold of the mess of colors and twirled it even more, lacing them, entwining them, separating the, before bringing them together again. Harry lowered his gaze to his lap, seeing nothing but blackness before his eyes caught a twirl of colors, small string-like things flowing from his pocket. Realizing it was the Map, Harry reached towards it, actually seeing the blackness of his hand as it moved closer to the colors.

Harry gasped and his imaginary eyes flew open as his 'fingers' touched the map, something coursing up his arm and banging to his head. He saw nothing, nothing but images and flashes, feeling emotions that weren't his as the slashes kept pouring into his mind, breaking his shields.

The youth pulled his head away and returned to reality faster he'd ever remembered doing before, panting heavily. He squinted his eyes shut before opening them again, looking at his hand that lay on his lap where he had placed it. It felt like lighting had coursed through his muscles, his whole arm nearly shaking as he tried to strengthen his shields again. He glanced up and saw the still vacant frame, cursing silently as he gingerly placed his left hand on his right like it was a dangerous animal. Harry massaged the muscles gently and sighed in relief when the shaking slowly faded, feeling his heart start to pound in his ears when he tried to realize what he'd just seen. He didn't remember anything whole, only a faint emotion of some sort and a flash of a face. Harry's eyes widened when he slowly connected the strings and realized he'd seen some of one of the Marauder's memories. Glancing up to the portrait again, Harry's brow furrowed at the emptiness. He wanted to go to his own bed to ponder over everything of this, not sit on the cold stone.

As if called by his dark thoughts, the Fat Lady came back, leaning heavily on her frame and jumping a feet to the air when Harry suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Gods, boy!" the woman in the painting rebuked. "Don't go scaring me like that, how rude of you! What are you doing in the corridor at this time of the night, anyway? You should-"

"Fairytale," Harry muttered, stuffing the Cloak to his pocket and stepping inside the Common room when the portrait was forced to swing aside, interrupting the Lady's oncoming rant about immoral kids who didn't obey the rules. He flopped to the sofa next to the fire and stared into the flames, remembering how he'd seen Sirius in there last year. Biting his lips, Harry glanced at his clock again. He was only mildly surprised to see it was nearly midnight already, time always seemed to get a kick to the arse when he meditated.

Harry dug out his wand and waved it silently, the Privacy-wards erupting around the sofa as he leaned back and folded his legs.

"Grim," the youth muttered, feeling his earring heat up. He waited for a while, finally hearing the soft whoosh as the connection was made. "You know, it just came to me here that you have the most charming connection-word," he said, smiling softly to the ceiling. Sirius snorted and the sound was so close Harry could almost imagine the man's breath sweeping past his ear, tickling his skin.

"If that's why you contacted me thanks a lot," Sirius said and Harry could almost see the adorable pout in the man's face, getting the irresistible urge to floo over to Grimmauld Place and kiss it away.

"Would it be so bad?" Harry questioned, his arms sliding over the backrest as he leaned further into the soft cushions.

"After you saw me mere hours ago?" Sirius asked with a chuckle, clearly grinning. "You could've said it then, you know."

"Am I disturbing you or something?" Harry inquired.

"Maybe my great bonding-time with a loyal friend," Sirius said and Harry heard the mellow underline in the man's voice.

"So, is it the second 'loyal friend' already?" Harry asked, bending his leg against his chest.

"I'm not a sot, Sunny boy," Sirius said silkily, causing a tingle to run down the youth's spine. "It's the third," he said after a short silence, making Harry chuckle faintly.

"Well, I'm glad it's only cider, then," the youth said, his hand falling to his lap.

"How do you know what I'm drinking Harrykins?" Sirius asked and Harry heard the raise of the eyebrow in the man's voice, a smirk creeping to his face.

"It's how you talk, actually," Harry replied.

"I haven't drunk cider with you," Sirius pointed out and Harry heard the swirl of the liquid as the golden nectar poured down the man's throat.

"Really? Well, it was a wild guess, then," Harry said, his gingers stroking his lower stomach faintly.

"Sure," Sirius said, chuckling. "So, to what do I _really_ owe this pleasure of talking to you so late a night, darling?"

"I- wanted to know how you're doing," Harry offered and heard the man laughing, another tingle coursing to ever corner of his body.

"Well, not that I don't appreciate your concern of my wellbeing," Sirius said and Harry closed his eyes, imagining the man leaning closer and speaking to his ear. "I doubt my condition can change rapidly enough to get alarming in mere four hours."

"One can never really know with you…" Harry said softly, shuddering at the purring chuckle echoing in his ears.

"True," the man breathed and Harry swallowed harshly, his hand going to play with the button in his pants. "But I doubt that's really it, Sunny boy. I've been fine here by myself the whole spring already…"

"Well, it's good, right?" Harry asked, his eyes sliding open as he gazed to the ceiling and watched the fire playing with the shadows.

"Maybe, if you look at it from certain points of views," Sirius said and Harry heard the small clack the bottle made when it connected with the wood. "But-"

Harry's eyes widened as the fire burst to life, illuminating the room. Sirius stepped out and was on the sofa with Harry before he could even blink, hovering over him with a smirk.

"Spit it out, Harry," the man said, his knee between the youth's legs as he leaned to the backrest.

"What're you doing here?!" Harry exclaimed, sitting up more probably. "It's the middle of the fucking night, what if someone comes here and-"

Sirius chuckled huskily and that shut up Harry efficiently, making him swallow as he felt his whole body tingling once again.

"As you already said," Sirius said slowly, sitting down until he was nearly on Harry's lap, his arms around his leg that was pressed against his chest. "It _is_ in the middle of a fucking night and cute, obedient kids are already sleeping."

"What am I, then?" Harry asked with a wide grin, raising an eyebrow.

"Beautiful and _dis_obedient," Sirius said, his head tilting in the slightest. "Now, how about you tell me why you contacted me so that I can go to sleep."

Harry opened his mouth but then looked away, biting his lower lip. "I- umm," he started, glancing at Sirius. "It's nothing."

"Okay," Sirius said with a smirk. His gaze lowered to Harry's lap and he licked his lips slowly, dragging his gaze back to the green eyes. "I see," the man said.

Harry blushed faintly, adjusting his position. "That's not why I contacted you," he said, swallowing hard and closing his hands around the fabric of the backrest when Sirius chuckled again, a knowing smirk on the man's face.

"Okay," the man said again. "I believe you."

Harry raised his eyes again, his mouth already open for a rant when a hot mouth pressed against his, a fast tongue dipping in his mouth before retreating again. Harry lifted his hand to his lips, his eyes wide as he looked at Sirius who was laughing silently. The youth's hand slid up the man's arm, pulling him back for a more thorough kiss as his fingers tangled in the silky locks. Harry tried to stifle the moan that welled in his chest when Sirius' knee pressed against him, causing torturous friction in his already aching boner.

"Merlin," Harry gasped out, resting his head on the man's shoulder as he bucked up against the pressure.

"Not here right now," Sirius chuckled, shifting. He pulled back and stood up, brushing his clothes calmly. "You might find him if you come along, though," he said, winking as he took a step towards the fireplace. Harry stumbled up, not even giving it a second thought as he nearly flew to the man's lap and they were gone in a flash of the flames.

*_*_*

Harry managed to crawl back into the common room not that many hours later, barely making it to the bed before his eyes fell shut.

It felt like he slept for mere minutes before a voice echoed through his head again.

"Harry?"

Harry moaned and pulled the bedcovers over his head, curling up in a ball.

"Harry?" Now a hand shook his shoulder carefully. "Harry, you need to wake up."

"Go fuck yourself," Harry murmured, burying himself deeper under the blankets.

"It's no use," Harry heard someone mutter and realized it was Ron. "He's in a shitty mood and I don't want to deal with the consequences of waking him up."

Harry heard a sigh and recognized Hermione's voice. "Fine, _I'll _wake him up."

Then another hand shook Harry's shoulder not-so-gently, just as Harry had managed to drift back into sleep.

"I wanna sleep, you sonuvabitch! It's Sunday!" The youth growled.

_Plus my ass hurts like hell. I swear, no fucking in a chair ever again!_

"Harry, you really need to wake up," Hermione said.

"Why?" Harry muttered, tightening his grip on the blankets.

"We need to study for the OWLs!"

Harry turned to look at Hermione and the girl was glad looks couldn't kill. "You woke me up to _study_?!" Harry's face was filled with disbelief. "Go to hell." He turned back to his side and the drapes pulled themselves around Harry's bed, forcing Hermione to step back.

"Honestly, Harry! How can you not be worried?! I've hardly seen you study at all! Don't follow on Sirius' footsteps here!"

Suddenly the drapes flew open and Harry sat up on the bed, ignoring the roaring sting on his backside. "If I follow on Sirius' footsteps, I'll be waving a paper with 6 Outstanding's in front of your nose, Hermione," Harry snapped before he flopped back to his bed again.

"Six?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Yes, six," Harry said and opened his eyes again. "And I can't see how that surprises you!"

"But, with the way he talks…" Hermione spluttered.

"You thought he was a horrible student, right?" Harry asked. "Well, big news. He_ wasn't_. And neither am I. I just hate waking up early."

"It didn't bother you during the past moths," Hermione stated and eyed Harry suspiciously.

"It didn't," Harry said, rising from the bed.

"Where're you going?" Hermione asked.

"To the bathroom,_ mother_," Harry said sarcastically. "I might as well get up as you don't seem to bug off." He slammed the door shut at his wake.

"I really don't understand that guy anymore," Ron said, sitting on his bed. "First he's all perky for the past months and now he's like the devil right from the morning."

"Maybe I'm a devil in disguise, then," Harry said as he walked towards his bed again. *_Mornin', Sei.*_

_*Mornin',*_ Sei said and cracked an eye open. *_I wouldn't advice you to take your shirt off.*_

_*I know,* _Harry muttered and felt a small grin spreading across his face. He flopped back to his bed with sigh, reaching for a book about wandless Magic.

"What're you reading?" Hermione asked. "And weren't you supposed to be studying?"

"I _am_ studying," Harry said. "I'll read for a while and then I might join you in the Common Room."

Hermione snorted. "I'll drag you by the ear if I don't see you in an hour," she threw over her shoulder as she and Ron walked to the door.

"I can hardly contain my fear," Harry said and turned the page.

"Honestly, he's just like Sirius," Hermione grumbled as they sat on the chairs around their favorite table.

"Is that a bad thing?" Ron asked and covered under the look Hermione gave him. "Okay, it's bad!"

"I'm just saying he should pay a bit more attention to his studies," Hermione muttered as she slammed her Runes-book to the table with a loud thump. "I mean, have you even once seen him doing his homework?"

"He does it before he disappears in the evenings," Ron replied as he dug out his Transfiguration-notes.

"Bu there's nearly not enough time to complete it! And still he gets it all done on time!"

"He's amazing," Ron stated and started to scan his jottings. "And have you seen him in Potions lately? The Greasy Git is gnashing his teeth when he hasn't found anything to mock about on Harry's work lately."

"Exactly," Hermione said and started to write a summary of one of the chapters in her book. "How's that possible?!"

"I'm just that magnificent," Harry said, flopping down between Ron and Hermione after imperceptibly placing a cushioning charm on the chair. He was glad they were away from the fire, he couldn't even look that way right now. "And it's not nice to talk about someone behind their back. Tut tut."

"Maybe if you spoke to us a bit more we wouldn't have to," Hermione snapped.

"And here I thought you liked riddles," Harry muttered. "And? How's your speculation going?"

"Oh, I'm proceeding with it," Hermione said and pulled a piece of parchment from her robes. "You disappear during the evenings, you admitted you've been practicing becoming an Animagius during the autumn when you were in school, you've improved in nearly every subject we're taking and you're clearly exhausted. My conclusion? You're training."

"Completely in the bush, now are we, Hermione?" Harry asked and shot a dashing smile towards his friend.

"I do believe I'm not," Hermione said triumphantly. "Or do you want to enlighten me in some particular fact? For example, why're you training?"

"I don't feel like it," Harry said. "And other than saying that you need to heavily reconsider your thesis, I keep my mouth shut. We were supposed to study for the O., right?"

Harry looked back down to his notes in Transfiguration and Charms, ignoring the hassle around them completely. It was quite loud in the Common Room as every fifth and seventh-year was going over their notes in different subjects and practicing the spells. Harry saw Seamus trying to turn his quill into a measuring glass and Neville trying to manage to do a summoning charm.

Hermione continued writing her summary and Ron stuffed his fingers in his ears, blocking the hassle out like that. Harry only pretended to be reading as he was in fact trying to figure out the reason behind the sudden rush-hour in his extra-lessons. When nearly hit with a book Neville was trying to summon, Harry concentrated on his surroundings again, standing up and walking next to Neville who was apologizing nonstop.

"It alright," Harry said, waving his hand dismissively. "What're you trying to do?"

"The summoning charm," Neville explained. "But it isn't working."

"Why?" Harry sat down next to the boy who was squirming in his chair slightly.

"The things I summon drop down half-way."

"I know the feeling," Harry said and smiled. "Need help?"

"Thanks, Harry!" Neville's face was shining with gratitude as Harry started to explain how he could perform the spell properly.

Harry managed to keep himself busy for the next hours as he helped Neville and, occasionally, Seamus and Dean as well, efficiently dumping his 'studies'. They continued after dinner and when the clock advanced towards eight Harry went to grab his Cloak and the Map from the dorms, sneaking out of the Common Room and into the Headmaster's office.

"So, how's your studying going, Harry?" Dumbledore asked when they were once again sitting in the library.

"Err… Okay, I think, Professor," Harry said. "It's a lot easier to study Transfiguration and Charms these days. I think I understand it so much better."

"Good, good," Dumbledore said and caressed his beard. "And? Did you try the trick with meditation?"

"I did, Professor" Harry replied. "It was… interesting."

"Yes, it tends to be like that," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I trust you are alright?"

"Hmm, yes, Professor," Harry replied. "My hand felt a bit odd for a while afterwards but otherwise it was cool. It's just that…"

"Yes, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"Can magical objects contain memories, Professor?" Harry inquired, raising his eyes to look at the Headmaster.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "To some extent, yes," he answered. "When someone creates something magical, it's bound to happen that he or she leaves a bit of their own magic into it as well. It is an echo of sorts."

"Well, what if there have been more than one creator?" Harry asked. "Will the echoes mingle or something?"

"Quite possible, actually," Dumbledore said, steepling his fingers. "You tried touching something such as that?"

"Yeah," Harry replied. "I touched it and then I just felt like this electric shock running up my arm and had images and feeling banging into my head, completely in a chaos."

"It is nothing dangerous, I assure you," Dumbledore said. "The magic of the object was simply reaching out to you, feeding you with memories of its creators when they made it."

"Yeah, I thought it was something like that," Harry said, nodding. They stayed in silence for a while before Harry opened his mouth again, feeling a sort of an anticipation settling in his stomach. "So, umm, Professor?" he asked.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Well, umm, you said… at some point… that I'll be learning Legilimency as well, Professor."

"Indeed I did."

"So when will I be learning that, Professor?"

"The OWLs, they start a week from here, correct?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Have Professors McGonagall and Flitwick said anything about your lessons?"

"They said I won't be having them during the upcoming week, Professor. So that I can study."

"And so will this be our last lesson in a while," Dumbledore said. "And because of that, we can practice Legilimency today. Nothing too complicated so that your brains stay energetic."

"But didn't you say yesterday that you would tell about the spells that react like the Patronus Charm when done wandlessly, Professor?"

"I did?" Dumbledore asked, having the dignity to look serenely baffled. "Oh my, I must be getting old. Oh well, we'll just postpone that lecture to another lesson. I don't want to burden your already highly overloaded mind with new spells."

"But Legilimency is new to me, Professor," Harry remarked.

"Ah, but it isn't that difficult. We won't practice it that much anyway. Only so that you know what it feels like and can use it efficiently."

Harry bit his lower lip, mustering up the courage. "Professor, you said that Voldemort is highly gifted with Legilimency."

"Indeed."

"And that he instantly notices if someone lies to him," Harry continued, looking at his Professor.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied, returning the gaze the youth was giving him.

"Then does he use Legilimency on his Death Eater's all the time?" Harry asked, his head tilting in the slightest.

"He doesn't have to."

"Why, Professor?"

"Voldemort is very talented in reading people as well," Dumbledore said. "There's usually some kind of a dyskinesia or a tone of voice when people are being dishonest. It may be that the corner of the eye twitches or the tone is higher. It varies with each individual. Voldemort reads people all the time and if he gets the scent of dishonesty, he uses Legilimency. That's it."

"So it's possible to lie to him, Professor?" Harry asked.

"Of course it is, Harry. If you manage to act one hundred percent normal and ward your mind against him, there's no problem. How're you Occlumency shields, by the way?"

"Up and running, Professor," Harry said with a smile. "Do you want to test them?"

"Will you allow me?" Dumbledore asked.

"Sure, Professor."

"After that it's Legilimency-training for you. I'll be your guinea-pig," Dumbledore said, smiling benevolently.

Without a warning and not even drawing his wand, Dumbledore attacked Harry's mind and tried to bend his shields. It was very different from the first time. Instead of the room fading from his vision, Harry still saw everything clearly. He concentrated on his shields, strengthening them to the maximum. Dumbledore blinked and then it was over.

"Very good, Harry," Dumbledore said and smiled. "I see your mind is as strong as ever."

Harry smiled as well.

"Do you want to do the spell with or without your wand?" Dumbledore asked.

"Mind if I try it with my wand first, Professor?" Harry asked.

"Not at all."

Harry pulled his wand out and pointed it at the Headmaster after a bit of hesitation.

"Legilimens," Harry muttered. First nothing happened but them it seemed like Dumbledore's pupils got wider and Harry was sucked in. But instead of pictures flooding into his mind it felt like he hit a brick-wall and Harry retreated, twitching.

"A good try for a first one," Dumbledore said. "But you need to be more headstrong. The human mind always has its own protection around it. Try again, with more resolve."

Harry swallowed and raised his wand again. "Legilimence," the youth muttered the second time and again it felt like he was sucked inside Dumbledore's pupils. He hit the wall again but this time round he didn't back away but pressed harder. Harry gritted his teeth and gasped when he felt something cracking and a flow of flashes suddenly entered his mind. He could make no sense of the images or sounds and after a few seconds his head started to ache from the chaos. Harry backed away willingly and lifted his hand to his forehead, rubbing hard.

"This is giving me a headache, Professor," Harry muttered.

"That happens during the first tries," Dumbledore said.

"Really, Professor?"

"I think we'll use a shortcut here a bit, after all. I'll let you inside my head willingly. It feels better for both of us. Then you can practice the mind-reading in itself."

Harry nodded. "Can I try it without my wand?" he asked.

"By all means, Harry. By all means."

Harry lowered his wand to the table and looked at the Headmaster in the eye, this time saying the spell in his mind. He slipped into Dumbledore's mind pretty easily and frowned as he tried to make sense of the whirling mass of memories. Harry could feel that Dumbledore still had his shields on, preventing all of his memories crushing onto Harry.

Harry 'looked' around and grabbed mentally one of the memories passing by. He was surprised when the memory engulfed him and he stood at this very same library, looking at himself and Dumbledore during one of their many lessons. Harry let go of that memory and searched for another one. They were all somehow connected to his lessons and Harry realized that Dumbledore was doing this on purpose. After thinking that he'd somehow gotten the hang of it Harry retreated from Dumbledore's mind, sighing when he returned to his body and rubbed his face.

"Is it different when you enter a persons mind without their permission, Professor?" Harry asked, leaning his elbow to the table and resting his head heavily on his hand.

"It is. You don't get to pick the memories and if you're not careful, it will do some serious damage."

_Ooh, Sirius, huh…_

Harry tried hard to suppress a grin. "Does it get easier, Professor? During time?"

"A little. You learn to seek only for what you need. And if you use Legilimency enough, you become in tune with people's facial expressions as well, resulting that you can avoid using the spell."

"So, how can I practice this?"

"Find someone willing to open their minds to you. But I must advise you to trust that person one hundred and ten percent."

"Why can't I practice this with you, Professor?"

"We have other things to do, Harry," Dumbledore said.

Harry nodded in understanding and was halfway through the motion when a thought leered itself inside his head. "Professor?"

"Yes?" Dumbledore asked, peering at Harry over his half-moon spectacles.

"Can Legilimency be used to create false memories? You know, to make you think you've done something you really haven't, for example."

Dumbledore looked at Harry a bit oddly before answering. "It can be used and it _is _used."

"By whom, Professor?"

"I think you know the answer to that question, Harry," Dumbledore said.

"Voldemort?"

Dumbledore nodded curtly. "He takes- pleasure- in mentally torturing people. Making them believe they've done something horrible and thus driving them insane. He finds it- amusing."

"How can that be amusing?" Harry asked disgusted. "You're not supposed to go messing with people's minds."

"True indeed," Dumbledore said. "Now," he continued, clapping his hands together. "Anything unclear whatsoever with you studies up till this point?"

"Err, not really, Professor," Harry said. "I'm just curious to know how're we supposed to cope in the Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL when we're not allowed to use our wands during the lessons."

"I'm sure you'll do perfectly," Dumbledore said serenely. "Speaking of D.A.D.A, Professor Umbridge came to see me the other day and claimed that her classroom was haunted."

"Haunted, Professor?" Harry asked with as much innocence as he could muster. "How come?"

"She said that things in her classroom kept changing places. And only during a class when she taught a class of fifth-year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws."

"Oh my, Professor," Harry said. "Are you sure the Professor is alright?"

Dumbledore looked at Harry for a long time before he stood up. "I certainly hope so," Dumbledore said. "Now, off you go. Back to your studies. I'll contact you when we start our lessons again."

"Okay, Professor," Harry said. When he was on the door Dumbledore spoke again.

"Oh, and Harry?"

Harry turned around to find Dumbledore standing next to the fireplace, gazing to the flames.

"You can practice your wandless magic during this intermission. But I trust you to use common sense as to _where _you practice it." A knowing glance of sky-blue eyes followed Harry as he nodded and exited the library, leaving the Headmaster's office.

* * *

It's the counceling-room again! Welcome our touring doctor Sirius!

Sirius: Yes, what is it this time? I kinda thought we were past all this already... Besides, this just makes the chapter longer and all that...

Dowash: Aww, but people _lo~ve _long chapters, right?

Sirius: Not if it's your uninteresting blabbering at the end, dear Dowash.

Dowash: This isn't uninteresting! It's the much appreciated soul-life of an Author!

Sirius: And I'm so sure everyone is over the moon to read all this.

Dowash: Of course they are! Why're you so grumpy, anyways? Harry refused to give you some? *winks*

Sirius: You wish... *sighs* you damn bastard, I want to _sleep _with my baby as well!!

Dowash: You are, now aren't you? *smirks*

Sirius: I meant that in the most innocent way possible, you perverted little-

Dowash: It's just so fun to tease you! *chuckled devilishly*

Sirius: Yes, poor me. But at least **I** got hearts at one review. Can you say the same? Huh, huh?

Dowash: *silence*

..

I think... I might deserve something after this gruesome comment... *exaggerated wink*


	24. Chapter 24

Well, hello again!

Yes yes, I know! It's insanely short this time but I'm hoping you'll bear with it with me! I gave you those _looong _chapters before, yea? So please don't bite my head off ;)

And, of course, thanks for the reviews as always! Harry and Siri loved them!

So, without further blabbering, I present the next chapter of Maybe!

(Gods, I _know _it's short, don't look at me like that, _please_! Harry and Siri tortured me enough as it is! Do you have no sympathies for me?)

Yea, I know you don't ;)

Enjoy!

* * *

Finally the OWLs pressed on with their full weight, much to the relief of the students in the Gryffindor Common Room. During the time before Hermione had been extremely irritable, practically tearing the head off of a person who dared to be loud when she was trying to study.

When their last lesson before the OWLs ticked away its last minutes Professor McGonagall gave her students an extremely stern look, tapping her finger against her desk. She watched as the students copied the test-schedules from the blackboard with frenzy, her thin lips pursing slightly.

"As you can see, the tests are during the next two weeks. The theory part is in the morning and the practical part is during the afternoon. The Astronomy test is obviously during the night. Now, the answering-parchments are extremely heavily enchanted to prevent cheating. Though, unfortunately, someone always thinks they can counter them. No gimmick whatsoever is allowed! If even one student is caught trying to cheat, I can assure you that person will be in detention till next Christmas, NO Hogsmead visits and all of your House's points will be taken away."

All of the students gaped at the Professor who looked solemn to her boots. "Do you understand?" she asked sternly.

"Yes, Professor," the whole class answered.

The bell rang and everyone scurried to toss their things to their Common Room's before going to dinner.

"Wow, that was some pretty heavy stuff," Ron said as they were walking to the Great Hall.

"Of course it was, Ron" Hermione snapped. "What would be the point in these exams if people could cheat their ways to perfect score?! That would show nothing!"

As they sat on the table Hermione dug one of her 'light reading'-books out and it landed on the table with an eerie thud.

"D'you mind not breaking our fingers here, Mione?" Harry asked as he reached for the potatoes. "We're gonna need them on Monday."

It felt a bit weird to Harry to have so much free time. He'd gotten so used to being in training every night that the enormity of his leisure time kinda spooked him. And as it was Friday the next two days would be spent in a feverish attempt to memorize every note from the past five years.

"Oh, shut it, Harry," Hermione snapped, scooping food to her plate while her eyes scanned the book.

"What're you reading, anyways?" Harry asked, attacking his chicken.

"It's a Runes book so no use in you knowing," Hermione snapped again, slamming her goblet to the table.

"No need to bite my head off here, I was just curious," Harry said calmly. "Your underwear sneaked to some improper place or something?"

Ron gushed his pumpkin juice out.

"Extremely funny, Harry," Hermione said sarcastically but Harry could see that she was holding back a smile.

"You got a problem with something in that?" Harry asked, waving his fork towards the book and managing to get some sauce landing on it.

"Not really. Just background reading," Hermione said, throwing Harry an annoyed glance as she dug out her wand and cleaned the pages.

"About what?" Harry inquired, gulping down his pumpkin-juice.

"The Goblin Wars."

Harry groaned and pretended to hit his head to the table, earning a few glance from the passersby.

"Come on, Harry!" Hermione scolded. "What's so bad about it?"

"Umm…. Deadly boring?" Harry asked and for that comment he finished his eating under the scornful look from Hermione. "I'll be in the Common room if you need me," he announced when he was done, escaping successfully.

Harry took the shortest route to the Common room, flopping to his bed when he reached the dorms. He put the Privacy Wards around his bed although he didn't suspect anyone to burst in, fingering his earring. With a small smile on his face he muttered the activation word, staring to the ceiling.

"Am I disturbing?" Harry asked after hearing the silent whoosh, drawing his leg closer to his chest..

"Never," Sirius said, a hologram of him appearing next to Harry. "Hiya, Sunny boy."

"Hi," Harry muttered, smiling as he turned to his side. "Miss ya."

Sirius grinned. "I don't."

Harry tossed a pillow at Sirius but unfortunately it went straight through. "Jerk," he muttered, sticking out his tongue.

Sirius laughed lightly, flopping down next to Harry. "So, were you late?"

"From the lesson with Dumbledore?" Harry asked and turned to lie on his back, his hand under his head as a cushion. "Nah. Besides, I told him to blame you."

Sirius snorted before he raised his hand, caressing the air above Harry's cheek.

"Too bad those things aren't touchable," Harry said.

"Yep," Sirius said, leaning his head to his hand. "So, how're you doin'?"

"Okay, I guess," Harry said, shrugging. "The OWLs begin on Monday so everyone's kinda freaked out."

"But you- the king of composure- are a poker face, right?" Sirius asked, winking.

"Nope. I'm freaking out alright," Harry said with a smile. "Whenever I think about the tests, I feel like I wanna vomit."

"I have a good cure for that," Sirius said.

"Really? What?"

"Get hammered," Sirius said with an angelic smile.

Harry laughed. "How the hell would I be able to pull _that _off? And besides, I happen to remember what happened the last time I drank alcohol."

Sirius chuckled, his transparent fingers gliding over to the spot where Harry had the tattoo.

Harry gave a soft laugh. "Actually, I mean the first time."

"Ahh, that," Sirius said, rubbing his chin. "What happened again? I can't seem to remember."

"Too bad for you, then," Harry said. "You can spend the next two weeks trying to recollect the pieces of that night and I'll enlighten you when we happen to bump into each other again."

Sirius chuckled. "So, how're your Potion-lessons coming_ up_?"

Harry shook his head. "Do you have to be so indecent? And yes, they're coming_ up_ just fine."

"Me? Indecent? Dear Sunny boy, what're you talking about?" Sirius asked innocently, his tongue darting over his lips.

Harry chuckled, his eyes flashing when he heard the footsteps from the stairs. "Siri, you've gotta go," he said hurriedly, taking one of the books on his nightstand between his fingers. "We'll talk again later, 'kay?"

Sirius flashed a dashing smile before cutting the connection, giving Harry the split of a second to lower the wards before Ron walked inside.

"Geez, mate. I thought you were studying," the redhead exclaimed, starting to dig his trunk for books.

"I'm taking a rest," Harry said with a smirk, waving the book with his hand.

"Well, don't let Hermione to see you like that, she'll seriously flip," Ron said as he straightened again, at least five books on his lap.

Harry bit back the smile he once again felt was trying to twist his lips. "Yeah, sure," he said.

*_*_*

Their first test was Charms. The fifth years wandered near the Great Hall after breakfast, entering when gotten the permission to do so. Harry blinked as he entered the room, for the order of things was slightly different and gave the impression that the Hall was even larger than before. The house tables were gone and in their place there were smaller desks in neat rows, just big enough for one person. Harry gulped hard when he sat down, looking up at Dumbledore who was standing in the front of the hall and beaming serenity to every direction.

"You may start," Dumbledore said.

The sound of papers being turned over echoed through the room and Harry mimicked them, looking at the first question: _a) Give the incantation and b) describe the wand movement required to make objects fly._

A huge grin spread across Harry's face, a memory which included a certain Saturday afternoon with him, Sirius, a bathtub and flying ducks floating to the front of his mind. Concentrating fully on his answer to get his groin to stay civil, Harry bent down and started to write.

The teen was still grinning when he left the Great Hall five hours later, meeting with his friends so that they could go to their Common room and have a well-earned break before lunch.

"Whew, it wasn't that bad, now was it?" Hermione asked, sitting down on an armchair near the fire. "Although I'm not sure if I answered fully correct on the question 214 about-"

"Hermione, we've been through this before," Ron groaned, flopping down on the sofa. "We don't want to go over the exams after they're done! The first time round was bad enough! Right, Harry?"

"Huh? Yeah, right…," Harry said absentmindedly, letting his legs fail him as he dropped to the welcoming lap of the soft armchair.

Ron sat up properly, looking at Harry with a raised eyebrow. "Are you alright, Harry?"

"I'm perfectly alright, Ron," Harry said, sinking further into his chair. "Why?"

"You're grinning," Ron said.

"No I'm not," Harry denied and rubbed his face, trying to order it into the appropriate expression.

"Oh, yes you are," Hermione said. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Harry said. "So, is the practical part after lunch?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "And tomorrow it's Transfiguration. After that D.A.D.A, then Herbology and then-"

"We know already," Harry said, cutting across Hermione. "I'll go and say hi to Sei," he added, standing up and heading for the dorms.

*_*_*

Harry sighed in relief as he sank to his bed on Thursday.

_One more exam to go…_

All of the practical parts of the exams had gone a lot better than Harry's ever even dreamed of. His Defense Against the Dark Arts' practical part had been fun as Harry's gotten the chance to almost laugh at the Umbitch's face when he'd done his Patronus right in front of her. The toad lookalike had looked furious. And although Harry didn't know the reason for it he rejoiced all the same, having decided somewhere along the spring that anything that irritated the woman was worth the fun.

It was going to be the History of Magic test tomorrow and as Harry already knew he was pretty much going to fail the whole damn thing anyway, he didn't bother with the reading that much. Where was he going to need it, anyway? Harry heard a lot about it from Hermione but he just shut her out and read other books about Ancient, silent and wandless magic. It had been highly entertaining to practice his wandless magic during the written part of the tests when he'd already finished but wasn't allowed to leave yet.

*_*_*

When Harry flipped around the History of Magic test he wanted to leave immediately. He saw that he wouldn't be able to answer much to any of them so he did what he could and leaned to his hand when he was finished. The answering had taken him less than an hour and they were to sit there five.

Harry sighed and took a more comfortable position in his chair. He saw Hermione writing with an inhumane speed, a stain of ink in her nose. Harry turned and saw Ron a few seats behind her, looking bored. Ron winked at Harry imperceptibly before lowering his head to rest against the table with a silent thud. Harry chuckled and leaned his head to his crossed arms on the table, closing his eyes. If he was going to spend here four hours doing nothing he'd make sure he got the most of it.

The teen smiled to himself in the cover of his arms, glad that no-one here could do Legilimency as his inner-mind theatre right now would've caused someone serious brain damage in an almost one hundred percent probability. But his vivid imagination led to the fact that he had a _hard_ problem after a really short while. Glad for his robes, Harry tried to think about something that _didn't_ include Sirius and ice cubes. Cursing the hot weather outside that had led Harry to think about ice, he started to go over the Runic markings and their meanings in his head, ushering the juicy scene inside his head away.

Harry must've dosed off because suddenly the bell rang and everyone rose from their seats, walking to the door and avoiding flying parchments that were summoned to the front of the Hall. He yawned and rose from his seat as well, stretching.

"Total failure," Ron said cheerfully as they walked out. "Couldn't answer even one question fully."

"Me neither," Harry said and laughed. "But we knew that already, right?"

"Yeah," Ron said.

Harry happened to glance at the doors leading out of the castle to the grounds and what he saw stopped him dead on his tracks. The figure leaning to the doorframe jerked his head, slipping outside. When Harry made a move to follow, Ron grabbed his arm, the redhead's eyebrow rising.

"Where're you going?" Ron asked.

"I'll be right back," Harry said and shook Ron's hand off, walking to the doors and looking outside. He noticed shadow nearby and walked towards it with haste, his heart nearly missing a beat.

"Hey!" Harry said as he got close enough. "What're you doing here?"

"Come with me for a sec," the man said and started walking, turning his back to the teen.

"What? Why?" Harry asked, following slightly behind.

"I have a message for you," the tiny man said, glancing over his shoulder repeatedly.

"You…" Harry said, narrowing his eyes to get a better look on the man before him. "You're… Fletcher, right? Mundungus Fletcher?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Fletcher said. "Could you come? Like now? I'm kinda in a hurry here…"

"What do you want?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what're you doing here altogether? I thought the Ord-"

"Shh!" the man whispered frantically. "Look, I need to take you to this place, okay? So come along nicely."

"Where?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow and glancing inside the castle.

"It's… it's a surprise," Fletcher said, twisting his hands. "I… Sirius…"

"What about Sirius?" Harry asked, turning promptly back towards the man.

"The surprise… Sirius made it for you so…" Fletcher said with difficulty, twisting his hands even more.

"He what?" Harry asked.

"Look, can you just come along, 'kay? He'll explain everything, I promise!"

Harry looked at the man warily for a few seconds but then decided that anything concerning Sirius couldn't be bad. "Yeah, sure," he said, shrugging.

The smaller man sighed in relief and turned to walk towards the school gates, making Harry halt. "I think I should go and tell my friends," he said, turning half-back.

"NO!" Fletcher nearly shrieked, grabbing Harry's arm in a tight hold and yanking him back. "I mean… Sirius told Dumbledore about this so… they'll know… so… you know…"

"Really?" Harry asked, allowing himself to be dragged to the gates. He got a slightly skeptic feeling about this when the man in front of him kept fidgeting more and more the closer they were to the gates.

The metal gave in as they approached, the sides falling apart silently and letting them through. Fletcher stretched out his hand and beckoned to Harry hurriedly, nearly dancing on the spot.

"Come along then," the man said. "I need to Apparate us, you know… so… you know… take my hand… you know…"

"Why couldn't Sirius come himself?" Harry asked, not taking the offered hand.

"I already told you!" Fletcher said anxiously. "He wants me to take you there! So…. come along, then!"

Harry opened his mouth to protest when Fletcher suddenly leaped out and grabbed his arm, squeezing nearly painfully. The teen felt the familiar sensation of being sucked away as they Apparated.

As soon as Harry could breathe again he shrugged the sweaty hand off, trying to get a proper look of his surroundings. The darkness that seemed to emit from every corner didn't aid his task of deciphering his surroundings at all, the faint silvery light shining from somewhere only managing to add to the darkness even more. Harry turned to look at Fletcher and saw the man was pressing himself against a metallic shelf not that far away, a horrified expression on his face.

"I'm sorry," Fletcher breathed, just before several wands lit to reveal at least a dozen of people all dressed in black, the light glinting on their masks.

"Hello, Harry," A familiar, drawling voice said, echoing through the silent space.

Harry cursed silently under his breath. Within seconds he was in the middle of a circle of Death Eaters, numerous wands pointed at him. His wand got spelled away and he was forced to the floor, anonymous hands gripping his neck and binding his arms behind his back.

"You know, you're incredibly naïve," a drawling voice said, floating mockingly from the darkness. A figure advanced through the mass of black robes, coming to stand before Harry. "I wouldn't have even _dreamt_ that you'd go along so nicely."

"What d'you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked, his eyes flitting to every direction while his heart pounded in his chest, threatening to spring out from his throat.

"As polite as ever, I see," Lucius said lazily, waving his wand to banish his mask. His motion caused a slight stir among the other Death Eaters before finally one of them spoke up, clearly trying to sound neutral.

"Was it necessary to remove your mask, Lucius?" the man asked. His nasal voice might have amused Harry had he not been fighting against the disarray in his mind. The hands around him felt muscular and whoever owned them clearly knew what he was doing; not giving Harry even an inch of space to move.

"Well, I can't see it mattering that much," Lucius said, his pale grey eyes- like a mocking imitation of Sirius' eyes- flashing dangerously. "Potter won't live to tell the tale, anyway."

Harry swallowed with difficulty, trying to shrug the arms off. What he got as a reward for that was a painful twist at his wrist, nearly forcing him to his knees. He gritted his teeth and exhaled through his nose, getting Lucius' attention again.

"I wouldn't advice you to resist that much, boy," the man said, still sounding like they were having tea in some fine lounge with boring company to top it all.

"Yeah, sure, I'll just stand here and let you have your way," Harry said sarcastically, managing to sound braver than he could ever feel, his heart now pounding against his Adam's apple and throwing his mind to a complete disarray.

"My, but that's exactly what you'll do," Lucius said, giving Harry a cold smile. "Have some of that famous Gryffindor courage now."

"I think you're the ones needing it," Harry shot back. "Although I think I should feel flattered about the fact that Voldemort sends twenty of his buddy-buddies to play with me."

"Ohhoo!!! Isn't Potty boy cocky?!"

Harry's head snapped to the side, his neck cracking painfully as he stared at the cloaked figures and in particular the one now stepping to the front, her mask getting banished as well.

"You," Harry whispered, his heart missing a beat before starting to pound at triple pace, his throat squeezing shut and making it hard to breathe.

"Why so surprised?" Bellatrix Lestrange asked, playing with the tips of her hair and looking mock-coquettish. "You should be polite when a woman addresses you."

"Sorry, I have a habit to be impolite to crazy little shits like you," Harry said, trying to swallow down the lump in his throat.

Bellatrix smiled horribly, her head jerking down in the slightest. Before Harry had the time to think what that odd gesture meant the pain was back in his left arm, this time more intense until something cracked ominously and a pained moan poured from his lips, his legs partly failing on him as the pain shot up his arm.

"We'll have a long day ahead of us if you choose to act like that, Potter," Lucius said, raising his voice to be heard through Harry's panting.

Harry didn't answer, the shock blending with the pain inside his head until, for a short while, he completely lost touch to the outer world.

* * *

Don't sue me?

I'm housing a nearly black eye as it is because Sirius expressed his- _disliking _of this chapter. ^^

I wonder why... =P


	25. Chapter 25

Sorry for the wait ^^ This chapter just wouldn't co-operate with me no matter what I did *growls* I can honestly say I've re-written for at least a dozen times and once more would kill me.

I hope I got it alright but I'm afraid you'll have to make do with this all the same *laugh* I'm _not _going to rewrite this yet again *chuckle*

Thank you for the reviews and your patience, as always. I'm loving you guys for it =P

And there you go.

Oh! And we have a visiting counselor today with us! Tune in on the bottom ;)

* * *

It didn't make any sense.

After breaking his arm the Death Eaters shunned Harry out completely, letting him stand freely next to the insanely high shelves. It was like he was being completely ignored despite of all the comments and threats that had showered down on him upon his stormy arrival. It was like they were all waiting for something.

Harry swallowed imperceptibly, the tension in the atmosphere nearly tangible and causing his nerves to stretch far too much. He could feel heart beating fast against his chest as he held his broken arm against his side, his eyes flitting to every direction in hopes of finding a way out.

On the youth's right was a bit of the dark corridor, visibility below zero because of the Death Eaters blocking the way and even more so because of the unnatural darkness emitting from every groove and notch in the vicinity. Only the faintest of lights penetrated the blackness and even that was unhelpful, as the darkness just swallowed any of the shaky silvery light cast upon it, the corridor continuing all the way to Hell for as far as Harry knew.

The situation on his left was exactly the same. Nothing but shelves and darkness and unnaturally still enemies. Up was no way to go as Harry had no idea just how high the shelves were and with the condition his arm was in at the moment, climbing was impossible.

The youth lowered his gaze to the floor, barely seeing the metallic net he was standing upon from the shadows swimming around his feet and ankles. It felt like the mutilated and twisted cries of the shadows would catch and bind him as soon as he looked away so Harry held his gazing contest with the immobile metal, trying to shut away the aching dull on his arm and shoulder.

The youth's eyes followed the shadows play around his legs like it was a fascinating game he'd never quite witnessed before, managing to kid himself into believing that this was a sick dream instead of iron-cold reality. The glowing orbs on the shelves slid in and out of his vision as the lighting-charms cast by the Death Eaters moved, molding the scenery as they flew past him. The feet of the shelves weren't visible. It was only fair because the roofs of them weren't visible either. Everything was hanging in a twisted mid-state, swirling out of control and causing Harry to get a headache.

Personally the youth thought that he was taking this far too calmly. He was captured by the enemy, his arm had been broken to hinder his concentration and he had been shut out completely.

In a way Harry could understand their logic. It was an ice-cold one.

Break an arm so he won't be able to concentrate. Shut him out to cause even further confusion.

The breaking of his arm had worked quite well. Harry couldn't gather his mind together well enough to perform any kind of magic, even if it had been to cast a Lumos Charm. He'd tried that already. But every time he got close he had to move just an inch and the pain shot up his arm, scorching and smashing his resolve away until all he could do was clutch onto the useless piece of muscles and dislocated bones to keep quiet. He would _not_ give those bastards the satisfaction of knowing he was in pain.

Harry's eyes caught with some action in the darkness and he raised his head slightly, breaking his stare with the metal to see what was going on. Curiosity killed the cat, as they say.

For a moment nothing happened and the youth was almost ready to believe he'd imagined it all when a small ripple coursed through the people gathered there, making their robes whisper.

The man who'd broken Harry's arm and had been standing on some kind of a twisted guard right beside him turned slightly, the most gruesome of grins on his face as he glanced at Harry briefly. That look made the teen's heart stop painfully before it accelerated to triple speed, a queasy feeling entering the pit of his stomach. He turned his head away and lowered his eyes back to the small spot of metal he'd been staring, though he could not set his mind back to the calm state it had previously been.

Nothing happened after that and Harry's heart agreed to settle down just a bit, his brains starting to work on overtime again as he tried to figure a way out.

Apparition was out of the question. For one, Harry didn't even know how to do it and secondly his wand had been taken from him. And from what he'd been able to gather about Apparition so far indicated that he'd need that utterly useless piece of wood to do it.

Portkey was squashed under the same category as well. He'd probably need his wand (which he didn't have) because of the unfamiliarity of it and the incantation to perform the spell (which he didn't know). Useless.

After the Portkey nothing came to the youth's mind but he tried to not let it get him down, chanting to himself that he could do this. Whatever _this_ would be.

It felt like more than an hour passed just like that, with Harry trying to compose himself as much as he could from the continuously rising level of pain in his arm and the Death Eaters ignoring him completely and staying quiet.

Harry didn't want to use wandless magic. Not only because it would blow any sense of surprise element he had left when and if it failed, but even more because he just couldn't. As he'd already proved, his concentration wasn't sufficient enough. Charming.

The youth had just started to wonder what the deal was with all of this when the Death Eaters shifted again, a chuckle racing through the area.

"Finally," Lucius Malfoy said, a ghost of a grin on his face as he looked into the dark corridor with his comrades.

Harry turned and tried to look as well, his brow furrowing when he saw nothing but blackness. The thought of asking the man what he'd meant passed the youth's mind but he squashed it as ridiculous the second he realized it, pursing his lips against the pain as he adjusted his position and straightened in the slightest.

The sound of footsteps, slow and heavy, penetrated the silence and echoed through the area, seeding calamity to Harry's stomach. The youth twitched before forcing his body to still again, straining his eyes to see through the heavy mass of blackness.

Two figures emerged from the darkness and Harry gasped audibly, making the Death Eaters around him look at him with knowing and menacing eyed before returning their gazes back to the two men approaching.

"Took you long enough," the man still standing next to Harry called out, swirling something in his fingers. "You needed to drag him from his doghouse or something?"

"No, actually," the just arrived Death Eater said, shoving the man before him forward. "No, he practically ran to my lap. I didn't even have to rough him up that much to get him here…"

Several Death Eaters laughed at the comment while Harry swallowed with difficulty, his grip on his arm tightening as he forced his brains _not_ to accept the facts. He refused to see, so he turned his head away and returned to his gaze back to the metallic floor, continuing the staring contest.

"Now now, you need to be polite, Potter," the man next to the youth said, lurking closer. Harry kept his gaze stubbornly directed to the floor and missed the move the man made before it was too late, a hand grabbing his hair and yanking his head towards the two men now nearly amidst the group of Death Eaters.

Harry forced back the shudder threatening to course through his body when he saw the small trail of blood in the corner of the taller man's mouth, a small cut gracing the smooth skin just below the high cheekbone. Otherwise Sirius looked okay, albeit his gaze was murderous and dripping venom as it swept past the gathered people.

The hand on the youth's hair loosened its grip now that he was looking where he was supposed to but the rough fingers didn't go anywhere, staying at the back of his neck and seeding a silent warning to his mind. Harry tried to turn his head away but it was grabbed and brought back, his eyes locking with Sirius briefly before the man looked away, towards the blonde wizard.

"We were expecting you," Lucius grinned, his eyes flickering menacingly as his gaze swept over the man. The pale glare got a smug taint to it when he saw Sirius' bound hands, the thin lips curling to a sneer.

Sirius stayed quiet but his expression was saying everything for him, nearly screaming in the dead silence once again descending to the area.

"Cat got your tongue?" Lucius inquired, one fine eyebrow rising mockingly. "And here I thought that you're always so quick-witted."

Still Sirius stayed quiet and Harry swallowed again, his mind not understanding what the man was doing there. His eyes flew along the man's body but there seemed to be nothing further wrong with him, albeit his hands were forced behind his back.

Suddenly the man who had previously stood next to Harry moved, sailing his way to where the men stood. With a mean grin he hunched slightly before his leg rose, his knee connecting with Sirius' stomach and making the man let out a small grunt as he nearly bent in two.

"Always wanted to do that," the man said, brushing the now visible scar on his cheek. "But I don't think that's nearly enough payback for all the things you've done, doggy."

Harry clutched his arm with wide eyes, already taking a step forward when someone came to yank him back, evil laughter floating through the area.

"Look who woke up!" the man behind Harry said, his hold on the youth tightening before it shifted and his broken arm was grabbed. "You going somewhere, Potter? Maybe to help your dog?"

Pain flared through Harry's body and he pursed his lips to stay quiet, biting back every comment and bitter remark coming to his mind.

Lucius grinned again, moving next to Sirius who was still slightly hunched and gasping for air. "You have quite the affect on the boy, you know," he drawled, glancing at Harry. "Before you arrived the kid just stood there like the good puppet he apparently is."

Harry's heart thudded painfully when the grey fire flared at him briefly before Sirius straightened, looking down to the blonde wizard. The teen swallowed again, trying to forget the pain still dulling his senses and smashing its irony caws to his insides.

Yet another silence descended, not a shadow was moving as the two men before Harry evaluated each other over and over again.

"What do you want?" Sirius asked finally, his voice even and indifferent.

"I'm sure you get it by now," Lucius grinned, giving a meaningful glance towards Harry again.

"Well, what if I don't?" the man pressed on, his eyebrow rising. "What if you kidnapped me for no reason at all? I recognized who it was, Malfoy."

The Death Eater let out a small laugh, allowing it echo through the area before he spoke again. "We both know you know, Black," he said, the smallest taints of triumph lacing his voice. "And as for the fact you saw who dragged you here… that shouldn't be a problem for you for long."

Harry swallowed with difficulty at the hinted threat, his heart thudding painfully again.

"You threatening me?" Sirius asked with a surprisingly calm voice, his eyebrows rising again.

"Was it too complicated for you to understand?" Lucius drawled with a cold grin, his robes whispering as he shifted.

"But why me?" Sirius inquired. "Even if I admit I know this place it does _you_ no good. I have nothing concerning me here."

"Like we'd want it if there was!" Bellatrix shrieked from the side, her eyes gleaming in the faint silvery light.

"I thought it was clear already," Lucius said, ignoring the woman as he turned slightly and looked at Harry.

The youth shifted involuntarily, not able to rid himself of the uncomfortable and nagging feeling of _something_, for he had no idea what was going on. The gaze the Death Eater directed at him was nothing short of a hungry one and it made his insides turn into lead, his palms sweating slightly.

"What?" Harry murmured, looking somewhere between the two men. Sirius shifted slightly and the youth could see the golden bracelet glinting in the light, his eyes widening in the slightest. His gaze instantly zoomed to the man's face and he saw the slightly narrowed eyes, a warning for just him to see.

"Oh yes, I forgot to brief you in," Lucius ragged, his cold eyes boring to Harry and making him take a step back and right to the lap of the anonymous Death Eater behind him. "But I think I'll let your dear Godfather do the honors, I'm sure you like to listen to _him_ more than me."

Harry's brow furrowed faintly, his whole body jerking as a hand gripped his arm out of nowhere and seeded even more pain. He tried to yank his broken arm free but the grip intensified even more, the bolt of excruciating pain nearly forcing him to his knees. A small moan slipped past the youth's lips before he pursed them shut, gnashing his teeth to stay quiet.

Sirius didn't say anything and Lucius rolled his eyes, turning back towards the man. His gaze swept past Death Eater who'd kicked Sirius, his head jerking.

The man grinned, nearly whistling as he stalked closer to Sirius again. This time the hit landed on the side of Sirius' face, making him stagger back a few steps while shaking his head. When he stopped his head rose again, his gaze dripping venom.

"You think beating me up will get you somewhere?" Sirius blustered, sucking his lip into his mouth again to suck the blood away.

"Not really," the man said with a menacing grin. "It's just fun, that's all."

Sirius snorted and spat the blood out, straightening again.

"You don't want to tell him?" Lucius tormented, his eyebrow rising menacingly.

"What, exactly?" Sirius questioned, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

"Why he is here," the man answered, his gaze sweeping over to Harry once again.

"What makes you think I even know?" Sirius tossed back. "I'm not part of your filthy gang, slime-ball."

"No, you're a part of your own filthy gang," Lucius countered, unfazed by the insult. "That's where the Mudblood-lover keeps his court with traitors and animals, now doesn't he?"

"At least it's better than child-abusers and mother-fuckers like you lot," Sirius hissed, his eyes flaring.

"Child-abusers?" Lucius asked, his eyebrow rising. "Look who's talking, dog…"

Harry's eyes widened at the same time as Sirius', both of them forgetting how to breathe for a second or two before their lungs forced some air in again.

"What do you mean, slime-ball?" Sirius asked quietly, his eyes narrowing.

"Please," Lucius said, rolling his eyes. "And besides, do you really expect me to believe that that stupid _Order_ of yours doesn't know what resides within this room? Don't make me laugh, your Mudblood-lover boss is surely well aware of everything concerning that Golden Boy of yours…"

"I wonder," Bellatrix put in between again, chuckling insanely as her gaze swept over Sirius and then turning to Harry, the gleam in her eyes intensifying even more. "Say, mutt. Do you happen to know why exactly that graybeard of yours didn't die during last autumn when the Dark Lord so conveniently possessed the Golden Boy?"

Harry shifted again but no-one took notice, everyone's attention focused on the black-haired man now pursing his lips.

"No answer?" Bellatrix continued, cackling. "Very well, I'll tell you then." She moved closer to Sirius but kept her eyes on Harry, her dry lips stretching to a horrible smile that made her skeleton-like face look ever deader. "He thought he saw you," the woman stated with an eerie conviction, her eyes gleaming all the more as she returned her gaze to Sirius. "When that Snape burst into the room, your Golden boy thought it was you. Would you imagine how amazed the Dark Lord was when he was forced to feel the same as that filthy half-blood?"

Bellatrix paused to let out an extremely evil laughter, making Harry's inside curl up in fear. His heart thudded painfully against his chest and for a while he forgot all about the pain in his arm as his brains came to the inevitable conclusion from the woman's words, his legs nearly bailing out on him.

"_Love_, you filthy mutt!" Bellatrix nearly screamed, right to Sirius' face. "That filthy half-blood slut of yours got banged with that filthy emotion and drove our Master away!"

Sirius blinked once before his lips parted, his eyes blazing. "Get outta my face, bitch," he said low. "It's unsightly to have you too close."

"Unsightly?" Bellatrix laughed, twirling a lock of her hair between her fingers. "What's unsightly is you, you fucking mutt! You and your halfblood slu-"

Sirius' eyes narrowed and he spat on the woman's face, looking at the amazed look on her face with a grin. "Keep it coming, bitch," he growled. "I won't even need my hands to tear you to shreds."

Bellatrix blinked with wide eyes before she laughed again, her wand out in a flash. "You'll pay for that," she whispered murderously before uttering the word and watching as Sirius crashed on his knees. "You think my abilities are somehow rusty because of all the years away?!" the woman nearly screamed, lifting her wand to lift the curse briefly. "Think again, you filthy Mudblood-lover! _CRUCIO_!!"

Harry tried to move but found his hands to be bound behind his back, a pair of strong arms restraining him. He kicked behind him but only managed to twist his arm painfully, a moan coursing through his body and nearly smashing its way past his lips before he forced it back, biting to the soft flesh inside his mouth to stay quiet as he was forced to watch.

Bellatrix kept the curse on Sirius for a few minutes more, clearly wishing for some sort of a noise and visibly disappointed when the man stayed quiet. Finally she was forced to lift the Unforgivable when Sirius swayed nearly imperceptibly, a small drop of blood trailing from his mouth.

"If you settled that already-" Lucius started, his eyes flashing to Bellatrix who was panting slightly but tucked her wand back under her robes all the same. "We didn't come here to settle old grudges. Deal with them later."

Sirius let out a silent chuckle, spitting blood from his mouth. "There's nothing but old grudges, slime-ball," he breathed, still chuckling. "That's what you get with insane relatives."

Bellatrix took an immediate step forth, her eyes blazing, but Lucius' arm halted her, a warning glance emitting from the pale eyes of the man.

"If you don't want to tell him I will," Lucius said and Harry wasn't sure if it was meant as a threat or not. Nevertheless, Sirius laughed again slightly huskily, making the youth's insides throw a small somersault.

"Fuck if I care," Sirius said with a voice dripping venom, his gaze scorching as he looked at the Death Eater. "I've been saying all along that he should know. You'll just be doing a favor to me if you tell Harry."

Lucius' lips twisted, clearly disgusted by that thought before he turned away and returned his attention to Harry. His head jerked slightly and the hands holding the youth back slithered away, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the corridor. The man's gaze swept over the youth several times, the silence ringing before the thin and sneering lips parted again.

"Your scar," Lucius said, surprising Harry so completely he forgot to reply. But the man didn't seem to need a reaction, for he continued again. "There is a Prophecy here that concerns your scar. We want you to get it for us. That's all there is to it."

"M-my scar?" Harry sputtered, his eyes wide in shock. "What the hell are you talk-?!"

"Don't make me repeat myself," Lucius snapped, his eyes blazing. "If you want to hear a good bedtime story, crawl to the dog's bed at night and hear it from him. Not that I doubt you'd go there anyway, you filthy halfblood slut."

Sirius hissed angrily but he was completely ignored, everyone's attention now on Harry and Lucius.

"Why would you want something concerning me?" Harry shot back in confusion, his eyes narrowing. His voice shook barely noticeably and he could feel every pound his heart made against his Adam's apple, his blood humming low in his ears.

"Dear boy, it concerns the Dark Lord as well," Lucius said calmly, nearly indifferently. "And that's all you need to know. Now take it."

"Why's Sirius here?" Harry questioned suddenly, his healthy hand forming into a fist. "What's he got to do with this all?"

"I'm sure you'll find out in a bit," Lucius said, a frightening grin sneaking nearly surreptitiously to his face. "But right now you should be a good boy and do as you're told."

"Fuck you," Harry spat, his whole body tensing up when the man moved.

Lucius jerked his head again and the man standing next to Sirius grinned widely, his leg rising and digging to the taller man's side. Sirius let out a small grunt, swaying but staying where he was.

The Death Eater turned back towards Harry with a raised eyebrow, his glare meaningful. "Get it?" he asked with a crooked grin. "Disobey us and you'll see your precious dog being torn to shreds right before you. And you won't be able to do anything to stop us."

Harry bit back a gasp, his fist clenching until he could feel his nails digging to his skin painfully. He looked past the wall of Death Eaters and straight at Sirius, his throat squeezing shut. While he watched, the man raised his head slightly, their eyes connecting for the briefest of moments. During that split of a second Sirius shook his head ever so slightly, mouthing only one word.

"_Occlumency_."

Harry didn't even have the time to fully understand the word before another hit landed on the man, connecting with his upper arm. He could hear the small snap the bone made as it gave way, a small pained gasp erupting from Sirius' lips. The youth shook his head, trying to swallow his heart down from his throat and at the same time keep a clear mind from the chaos trying to engulf him in its all consuming flames.

"This is extremely simple, Potter," Lucius drawled, folding his arms. "You'll give us what we want; we'll give you what you want. A simple trade and no-one has to get hurt. Much."

This time the gasp erupted from Harry's lips no matter how hard he tried to stop it, blood trailing down his hand from the wounds his nails had dug into his skin. "How-," he started, his voice too shaky to continue. The youth swallowed under the menacing glares and tried again, wiling his voice to stay even. "How do I even know that's really Sirius?" he asked, swallowing once again. "How the hell can I know it's not just one of you under the Polyjuice Potion?"

"My, can the boy actually think?" Bellatrix mocked, cackling evilly again. "Congrats, slut-boy."

Lucius grinned as well, a somewhat approving look passing his eyes before they were as hard as stone again. "I doubt you'll take our word but that's the real thing," he said. "None of us wanted to drink up a potion with a piece on him, as it were. Too disgusting."

The Death Eaters laughed and Harry felt a burn on his cheeks, noticing to his utter mortification that he was blushing.

"What makes you think I'd do anything even though you threaten to hurt Sirius?" Harry tried, shifting under the knowing glare.

"Your bluff couldn't get any more obvious, Potter," Lucius stated with a grin. "Even if we didn't know you had some sort of a sick thing going on between the two of you, _everyone_ knows you're oh so fond of your dear Godfather."

"And that makes you think I'd give in to you?" Harry asked, frowning. He nearly managed to shun out the pain on his arm just long enough to check on his Occlumency wards, trying to figure out what Sirius had meant.

"You know," Lucius drawled, slowly stalking closer. "During all these years, I've come to notice one thing…"

"Which would be?" Harry asked, even more confused when his check came back with fully active and running shields, not a single taint in them.

_What the __**hell**__ did he mean?! _

"Everyone- and I _mean_ everyone- has a weakness," Lucius stated, grinning as he looked down to Harry's slightly hunched from. "You just have to figure out what it is and they're yours. For good."

"And?" Harry said, his gaze zooming back to Sirius in hopes of receiving some other clue but the man's head was bent, eye-contact thus impossible.

"And," Lucius said, his grin widening and getting a menacing taint to it. "Yours is the dog. Simple as that. Now start co-operating before he's short of few- ahh, _essential_ limbs."

Harry swallowed again, his gaze boring to the black head but it didn't rise. "Say I get the Prophecy," he said after a while of silence, causing a small shift run through the Death Eaters before Lucius waved his hand and it died out immediately. "What guarantees do I have you won't just kill me and Sirius right after you have it?"

"None," Lucius said, his grin faltering as a cold look entered his face.

"They won't kill you," Sirius said quietly, drawing a slight attention back on himself again. The man next to him crouched down and yanked him up by the hair, his head bending back.

"What did you say?" the man inquired, a knife appearing out of nowhere and sliding against the smooth skin of Sirius' neck.

Sirius smirked briefly, his eyes gleaming in the faint light. "I said," he started, licking his lips. "That you don't have the balls to kill Harry when your boss gave strict instructions that the kid's his to kill. That's all."

"Maybe so," the man next to Sirius said. "But that says nothing of _you_, you fucker."

"I never said it did," Sirius said calmly, not jolting an inch when the knife dug to his skin right under his left ear.

"Rodolphus, if you could restrain yourself, please," Lucius said nearly lazily. "It's true we have no orders on the dog but that doesn't mean you can do as you please."

"You spoil my fun," the man now known as Rodolphus said but pulled back, the knife returning inside his pocket.

"Back to the matter at hand," Lucius said, looking Harry directly in the eye. "I don't have the time nor the patience to endure your silliness or chevalier-like behavior, Potter. Just get the Prophecy and I'll let you both walk away."

"Just like that, even though I know who you are?" Harry questioned, disbelief written all over his face and tone while his gaze kept flitting between the blonde wizard and Sirius. "Don't try to bullshit me, Malfoy. If you let me walk I'll testify against you!"

"Testify?" Lucius asked with a chuckle. "It wouldn't ever make it to the court, Potter. The Malfoy-family name still has a considerable amount of power."

"Like I care, I'll tell anyone willing to believe me!" Harry stated.

Lucius' eyes flared before he nearly bared his teeth, his fingers snapping. Rodolphus grinned and dug out his knife again, placing the tip of it right above Sirius' shoulder before shoving it in nearly carelessly. Sirius' eyes widened in surprise and the smallest moans of pain slithered past his lips unbidden, too fast for him to shun out. Blood dampened the shirt he had on, pouring to his chest and trailing small patterns to the smooth fabric as Rodolphus pulled the knife out.

Harry gasped as well, his chest squeezing shut as his eyes mercilessly fed him with the scenery before them. He staggered to the side slightly, feeling the wound like it was his own and it nearly made him sob.

"This is boring," Bellatrix called out, stepping forth. "And will take an eternity as well. Lucius!"

"What?" the man answered, nearly annoyed.

"I have a better idea for persuasion," the woman said with a smirk, twirling yet another lock of hair between her fingers.

"Are you trying to tell me what to do?" Lucius inquired icily, his gaze zooming to the woman who immediately shook her head, disagreeing.

"No, by all means no, Lucius," Bellatrix hurried to insure, making Sirius snort. "I was merely responding to your comment about how you don't have the patience to wait around."

"Ass-kisser," Sirius muttered, making the woman swirl around and hit him hard across the face.

"You mind your own business, fucker!" Bellatrix screamed, her wand already pointed at Sirius when Lucius cleared his throat meaningfully.

"Your suggestion, Bella?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow. The woman turned towards him immediately, a meaning glance towards Harry pulling the man closer.

The two Death Eaters spoke with low voices for a while before departing again, both housing identical, evil grins on their faces. Harry's insides twisted to a tight knot and his heart thudded painfully again, making his blood hum in his ears all the more. The youth could feel the ache on his arm slowly subsiding to something bearable as he watched how Bellatrix hovered over Sirius, her wand rising again. He was prepared to hear the fearful word, prepared to watch Sirius twitching in paint, prepared to try and harden his heart against it, but it turned out he never needed to do that in the first place.

"Imperio," Bellatrix said triumphantly, her wand pointing down to Sirius who twitched before rising slowly.

Harry's heart missed a beat when Sirius took a step towards him, swaying almost imperceptibly. He took an equal step back but the man followed, cornering him against one of the shelves.

"Sirius…" the youth breathed, his throat knitting itself shut again. He noticed that the man wasn't bound anymore, his arms were hanging freely on his sides as he looked down to Harry. Only the slightest glassiness on the magnificent grey eyes was telling the youth something- _everything_- was wrong.

Sirius' head tilted almost curiously as his hand rose, the long fingers brushing past Harry's cheek and shocking him completely. He tried to back away but the metal didn't budge, he was trapped between the shelf and the man.

"Why?" Sirius murmured softly, hurt coloring his voice and nearly breaking Harry's heart. The young man tried to convince himself that this wasn't his Sirius, not the man he loved, he wasn't doing this of his own will, but his body didn't listen and it shifted, nearly pressing against Sirius when the man moved closer.

Sirius' hand slid up Harry's healthy arm and the youth tried to fight against the burn it caused, closing his eyes and turning his head away so that he didn't have to look at the man. He felt fingers under his chin before it was tilted up, clothes and a warm body concealed by them pressing even harder against him as Sirius' silky hair slid along his skin.

"Why do you avert?" Sirius' voice asked Harry, just as smooth and silky as always and it made the youth shiver, his mind trying to shield him against the tone. A warm breath brushed past Harry's ear and he swallowed harshly, prohibiting himself from feeling it.

"Go away," the young man whispered, pressing his forearm against the warm and familiar chest to push Sirius away. "Go!"

"Why?" Sirius murmured, his fingers grabbing and entwining with Harry's before the youth's hand was nearly slammed against the shelves, a leg slipping between his own and nailing him to the metal. "Why? Why do you… _Run away _from me_, Harry_."

Harry's eyes snapped open but he didn't dare look at the man, still trying to get free. His treacherous throat let the moan past his lips when Sirius' leg moved, nearly rubbing against him.

"Just do as I tell and you'll be fine, alright?" Sirius murmured against Harry's neck, causing a shiver after the other to course down the youth's spine as he fought against the false security that voice was promising him. "Just don't try to… _Escape, Harry_… And you'll be just fine."

Harry swallowed harshly, forcing himself to briefly glance at Sirius before averting his gaze again. Not a hint of the glassiness was visible in the grey fire when their gazes met, making the youth's insides curl as if small snakes were emplaced there. Then the moment was over and Harry was abandoned in confusion, listening to Sirius steady and smooth voice as the man supposedly tried to persuade him to take the Prophecy but in fact was telling him how to get out of here.

Then finally Bellatrix jerked her wand and Sirius immediately retreated, staying in the middle of the corridor with a glassy glare that was directed straight at Harry.

"Damn, I thought he'd resist or something," Bellatrix said, sounding nearly surprised.

"As long as this works I don't care," Lucius snapped, once again returning his gaze to Harry. "The Prophecy, Potter."

Harry swallowed, Sirius' words still ringing in his ears. _"They can never have it." _He understood and agreed.

"Well?" Lucius pressed on, his eyes flickering in the light. "Do I have to remind you your dog is a mindless puppet of ours right now? So, to say I'd want to harm him…" the man snapped his fingers and Rodolphus answered with yet another one of his horrible grins, walking next to Sirius and placing a knife on his working hand. Under Harry's eyes the raven-haired man lifted the knife and pressed it against his own throat, still with that glassy glare only the youth now knew to be faked.

Harry swallowed, wishing with all his might this would work. "Where is it?" he asked, forcing his voice to stay steady when he saw the hungry glint returning to the pale eyes staring at him.

"Right there," Lucius said, pointing to somewhere behind Harry. "97. Potter and Voldemort."

"What?!" Harry said sharply, turning back from where he'd nearly been face to face with the shelf. "You didn't say a -"

"Just take it, Potter," Lucius drawled, glancing meaningfully at Sirius who pressed a little, a fresh trail of blood slithering from under the knife he held.

Harry exhaled, trying to calm his pounding heart and shaky hand as he gave Sirius a last glance before turning fully towards the shelf again. His eyes scanned the levels for a while before he turned again, looking at Lucius.

"I can't see the tags," the youth stated, making the Death Eater let out an impatient sigh.

"No games, Potter," Lucius warned as he took a step closer, his lit wand pointing straight at one of the glass-orbs residing on the shelf. It was thickly covered with dust, the faintest of glows emitting a small light from somewhere within it. "Now take it."

Harry swallowed for the last time, his gaze briefly sweeping past his and Voldemort's names before he hardened his resolve and forced his heart down his throat, reaching out with his hand.

When the youth's fingers touched the small ball he felt something akin to an electric shock coursing faintly through his arm, making him gasp. He forgot of the plan for the briefest of moments but it was brought back to his mind when Lucius moved, attempting to snatch the Prophecy from him.

Harry sent a small pray to the gods before swirling around and shoving the small glass-orb against the Death Eater's chest, surprising him and giving him no time to react when he yelled out the spell.

"Reducto!"

The glass cracked and blew apart while its clones around them did the same when Harry's magic over-stated, small shards of the ball piercing through his palm while bigger bits carved their way to Lucius' chest, blood spraying out.

Harry turned and ran.

He managed to get past the wall of Death Eaters with sheer luck and the moment of confusion he had on his side, sprinting to the darkness. A hand came around his upper arm and he'd already turned around to blast it off when Sirius pushed him forward, his eyes blazing.

"Move!" the man yelled, his grip on Harry's arm tightening as he pulled them to another corridor to avoid the curses starting to fly their way.

Harry gasped and fought for air as they fled through the darkness, trusting completely on Sirius and that the man knew where they were going. When they flew through another intersection of shelves Harry saw Death Eaters, three of them. He turned around enough to weakly point at them and yelled another 'reducto', not staying to watch as it hit the shelves and the glass-balls exploded.

They ran for what felt like a small eternity, the sting on Harry's side growing stronger and more painful with each passing shelf-line until he had to stop to catch his breath, shaking his head weakly against the pull on his arm.

"Harry, we need to _go_!" Sirius yelled, a curse flying threateningly close to his head and smashing to a shelf near them.

"Can't," the youth breathed, clutching his side. "I can't… breathe."

Sirius swore under his breath, shooting a curse towards the Death Eaters running towards them. Harry didn't have the time to ponder about how Sirius was using wandless magic before a strong arm was around his waist and he was dragged along the corridor, more curses shouted at their wake.

"Move your legs!" Sirius commanded while mercilessly dragging Harry, ducking to avoid a curse. "We're nearly there, c'mon!"

Harry squeezed his chest but managed to force some air to his lungs, running as much as he could.

Finally they arrived at a closed black door and Sirius just kicked it aside, dragging Harry into the room before slamming the wood shut.

"_Colloportus!" _the man breathed and Harry jolted when he heard the bang someone made when they kicked the door from the other side.

Sirius turned and grabbed Harry's hand, hurriedly pulling him through the room. The youth barely saw all of the sparkle and glitter from the excruciating sting on his chest, forcing him to walk nearly bent in two.

A triumphant yell coursed through the room when the door was blasted open and the Death Eaters poured inside, curses starting to fly again. Sirius shoved Harry behind a high wooden shelf, shielding the youth with is body as he peeked towards the door. The man had to jerk his head back immediately when a curse missed his face with a hairs width, making Harry gasp amidst his breath-catching.

"Better?" Sirius asked hurriedly, shooting a curse towards one of the other shelves. It exploded with a deafening bang, reducing the visibility below zero as all the glasses and clocks in there flew to every possible direction. Shouts echoed through the room as the dust swirled around the room, jets of light still coursing through the air.

Sirius glanced at Harry briefly, seeing the youth's nearly doubled form as he fought for air. He turned back to face the room, trying to see from the jets of light and dust. The Death Eater's were aimlessly firing spells into the room, not actually trying to hit them.

The man's eyes narrowed as he tried listened to Harry's ragged breathing, his brains working fast as the dust settled and he could see the Death Eater's again. He felt a hand coming to clutch the back of his shirt and turned around slightly, looking at Harry.

"I'm fine," the youth gasped, his lips shaking slightly. "I'm alright."

Sirius swallowed and looked back into the room, cursing the sand that was now fully settled. His eyes hit on another high shelf, his hand rising. The bombing-curse hit the wood on the bottom and the whole thing swayed, starting to fall down after a few long and torturous seconds. The Death Eaters who'd advanced further into the room had to pull back slightly with curses on their lips, their concentration going to shielding themselves from all the items falling from the shelf as it crashed against the ground.

During the distraction Sirius grabbed Harry's hand and yanked him towards the door not far behind them, kicking the wood open and shoving the youth inside. Harry flew inside the room, nearly tripping at his own feet before he turned around to face Sirius again.

The man was nearly through the door as well when a Death Eater yelled and fired a curse at them, hitting Sirius' side and making him stagger. Harry let out a yell a well as he tried to run closer, his arms stretching out. He managed to catch Sirius before he fell, swaying under the man's weight as he dragged them inside the room again and banged the door shut before the Death Eaters could come through. The youth only distantly realized the walls of the new room were swirling around as he lowered the man to the floor, shaking him slightly.

"Sirius?"

Harry swallowed, trying to contain his panic when the man didn't answer. The walls were still swirling but he knew it was only a matter of seconds anymore before it would stop and Death Eaters would run inside, curses at their lips.

"SIRIUS!" the youth shouted, shaking harder. He nearly sobbed in relief when the grayness looked back at him, recognition in there.

"We need to go," Sirius breathed, trying to stand up. He crashed against the wall with a loud curse, a bloody hand reaching out towards Harry. "Help me up."

Harry swallowed and took the offered hand, trying to disregard the blood as he wrapped the muscular arm around his shoulders and heaved the man up, swaying slightly under his weight.

"Can't you Apparate us out?" the young man asked, trying to decide which way to go. The walls were slowing down now.

"No," Sirius breathed again, moaning in pain when more blood poured from the wound. "They… put an anti-Apparition hex on my bracelet before I… got here. I… I can't."

"Sirius, where're we going?" Harry asked, his eyes flitting over the dozens of doors and blue-flamed torches, now clearly visible. The walls were nearly still now. "Where'll we go?!"

"Doesn't matter," Sirius moaned, his head dangling briefly. "Somewhere we can… hold 'em off."

Harry swallowed before haphazardly deciding on a door right before them, nearly dragging Sirius towards it. He turned the handle but nothing happened, the door didn't give in. The youth got the urgent temptation to kick it but Sirius' head fell heavily against his, startling him.

"Another," the man murmured, his fingers digging to Harry's shoulder. "Hurry."

Harry went to the door on their right and tried the handle, not given the chance to see what was inside when at least half a dozen doors burst open and Death Eaters finally reached inside, curses flying towards them from all directions. Harry pushed the door open in a frenzy before shoving Sirius inside, slamming the wood shut and imitating the spell the man'd cast before.

"Colloportus!"

Harry turned around, his eyes widening when he saw the steps made of stone and the elevation below them, a huge archway in the middle of it all. The ragged and old veil hanging from the stone oscillated calmly as though there was an invisible wind twirling its hems, small whispers echoing through the room.

The youth shook himself out of his mindless gazing to hurry to Sirius' side, wrapping the man's arm around his shoulders again to heave him up. He tried to ignore Sirius' pained gasp, concentrating on his feet. They descended the huge stony steps one at a time, Sirius wincing quietly at every move they made and it tore Harry's heart to listen to it. Then they were in the middle, climbing the few steps to the elevation. The youth nearly carried Sirius next to the archway, lowering him to sit with his back against the pale stone.

"S- seal the doors," Sirius breathed, clutching his side with his hand in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"H-how?!" Harry questioned, crouching down next to the man and trying to get a look at the wound. "And shouldn't I… you…"

"The doors," Sirius said, his voice stern but frighteningly weak. His eyes flashed as his head thudded against the stone. "Hurry."

"But how-" the youth started, now of all times starting to panic. "I can't- I don't know how to-"

"The spell I used," Sirius breathed, his eyes sliding shut briefly before he forced them open again. "Point and cast."

Harry stood up wobbly, uncertain of his own sufficiency as he raised his hand. Slowly, one by one, the doors were sealed shut and not one Death Eater was on the other side banging on them, letting Harry's heart pound a bit slower as he turned back to Sirius.

The youth was terrified of the amount of blood around the man. He hurried back and fell on his knees before Sirius, taking the man's face between his hands despite the roaring disagreement his broken arm let out.

"Sirius?" Harry said tentatively, his insides squeezing to near nonexistent when the man didn't answer. "Sirius!"

The man stirred, his gaze wandering about for a while before focusing on Harry. "I'm fine," he breathed out, a small trail of blood slithering from his mouth.

"No, you're not," Harry whispered, ripping Sirius' hand away from the wound. He could feel the blood leaving his face when he paled, a wail nearly slipping past his lips.

Sirius' whole left side was covered in blood, more of it pouring from the gaping wound just under his ribcage. Harry knew just by looking that it was way beyond his healing-skills, the ones he'd acquired by reading the book Hermione'd given him had never been tested in real life.

As Harry watched a hand slid up to his cheek, making him look up and into Sirius' eyes.

"It's okay," the man said, managing a small smile. "I've been through… worse." Sirius coughed, spitting out blood before he wiped his mouth to his shoulder.

"I need to-," Harry said, feeling an eerie panic start to rise within him. Nothing that had happened so far had managed to shock him, he was worried about that, but now he was panicking more than ever before during that day, his heart pounding against his throat again as he tried to think clearly, to think of what to do. "Tie it," the youth murmured, standing up. "I need to tie it with something!"

Harry searched for a while before swallowing and pulling off his robes, tearing them to shreds before trying to get Sirius to lean forward.

"It's okay," the man repeated when Harry tried to pull him forward, resisting the movement. "Concentrate… on yourself."

"I'm fine!" Harry whispered with a strained tone, yanking Sirius forward by force and managing to slip the shred of black fabric behind the man's back. It was slightly difficult to tie it tightly around Sirius' chest by using only one hand but Harry managed, wiping his forehead when he was done. "I- I need to-" the youth mumbled incoherently, stopped when a finger came to rest against his lips.

"It's okay," Sirius said emphatically_, _managing another shaky smile. "Okay?"

"But-" Harry tried, silenced when the fingers pressed harder before Sirius' hand slid to his cheek.

"I'm sorry," Sirius murmured, his eyes getting slightly glassy before he shook his head and focused on Harry again. "I'm sorry you-"

"No!" Harry said frantically, his heart now pounding painfully fast as he crawled closer and leaned his head against Sirius'. "No," he repeated firmly. "Whatever it is, you can tell me once we're out, alright?"

Sirius didn't answer and Harry raised his head, swallowing. He clung onto the man's wet shirt as their eyes met again, the grayness fading at a rapid pace.

"Sirius!" Harry yelled, nearly shaking the man. Sirius let out a choked moan but was present again, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"They won't make it," the man muttered, his head dangling briefly.

"Who?" Harry questioned, shaking the man again to keep him awake. "_Sirius_! Who?!"

"The Order," Sirius answered nearly incoherently, his eyes falling shut. "Shit."

"Stay awake, you idiot!" Harry shouted, slapping the man's face. "If you dare to die on me now I'll fucking kill you, Sirius Black!"

Sirius snorted faintly. "Threatening a wounded guy," he murmured, but his head rose again before it thumped back against the cold stone. "Only you'd-…"

"Sirius!" Harry nearly screamed, forcing back the sob. "C'mon, did you come here just to d-die away when were nearly out?!" He shook the man with both of his hands in an attempt to cause him some pain. "Stay awake, damn it!"

Sirius moaned and his head tilted to the side, the slightest of frowns on his face as his eyes opened again. "You're supposed t- to be panicking," he said with the faintest of chuckles, his eyes clear for a second as he looked at Harry.

"I- I am," Harry breathed, feeling the tears on his eyes as they obscured his vision. "This is me, panicking. Take it or leave it."

Sirius managed a weak grin, his hand sliding along his lap until Harry caught it and entwined their fingers.

"It's gonna be okay," the youth said but he could hear the doubt in his own shaky voice, his heart thudding in his chest and hindering his thinking.

"Yeah," Sirius answered, his weak grin faltering and smashing to pieced when his face twisted and his eyes squinted shut, a pained moan escaping his lips. "_Shit_."

Harry swallowed and squeezed on the man's fingers even more, his own insufficiency to do anything scorching his insides and filling him with shame. He nearly sobbed before their entwined hand jerked, getting his attention.

The youth lifted his eyes to look at Sirius, not even given the chance to say anything before one of the doors banged open and people ran inside in a mass of blackness, a triumphant yell echoing from the stones.

"They're here!" Bellatrix screamed to the corridor behind the Death Eaters, more hurried footsteps audible in the following silence.

The woman started to descend the stairs with no rush at all, her gaze sweeping over the room before finally landing on Harry and Sirius. "Such a pretty picture," she said mockingly, her heels clacking to the floor as she reached the bottom. "Do you mind it we interrupt just a wee bit, Potty-slut?"

Harry swallowed, his grip on Sirius' hand tightening before he pursed his lips and slid the man's hand back to his lap, straightening. He turned to face the gathering Death Eaters with as much confidence as he could call out, backing slightly so that he felt Sirius' legs behind him.

"You gonna fight?" Bellatrix asked, her smile haltering slightly.

"Oh no, I'm just gonna have you worship my feet," Harry said mockingly, trying and failing to cover his insecurity with biting sarcasm.

"You-," Bellatrix screamed, her wand rising.

"You think that's wise?" Harry asked, his head tilting. He could feel his blood humming in his ears. "You might just accidentally kill me, you know…"

Bellatrix's face twisted but her hand lowered, making Harry smirk.

"Thought so too," the youth said. "Now go away."

"Go away?" Bellatrix questioned, laughing. "I'm not going away! I'm going to tear that dog to shreds!"

"You won't," Harry said, managing to sound braver he could ever feel.

"Says who?!" the woman screamed, her face twisting in hatred. "I'm not taking orders from a halfblooded slut such as you, Potter!!"

"Did you know that Voldemort is halfblood as well?" Harry inquired, determined to aggravate the bitch as much as he could. "Or did he just bullshit the lot of you and-"

"SHUT YOUR TRAP!!!" Bellatrix boomed, her wand rising again. Harry barely had the time to raise a shield before the curse hit it, causing a bang to echo from the rocks.

"Calm down, Bella," Lucius said, appearing from amidst the black mass. "Can't you see the Potty-boy's panicking? That's a nasty wound his dog has, after all…"

Bellatrix's eyes zoomed to Sirius, schadenfreude shining in them when he saw the amount of blood. "Oh my," she said mock-sympathetically. "Poor Potty-slut, should we leave so that you can have your last moment together?"

"Shut up," Harry whispered, his fists clenching as his throat squeezed shut. "Shut the fuck up, you bitch!"

"Or what?" Bellatrix mocked, stalking closer. "You'll slap me?" She stopped at the foot of the few stairs leading to the elevation, looking at Harry menacingly. "You should just let me end his suffering, boy," the woman tormented, her head jerking towards Sirius whose breathing was clearly audible now, ever inhale and exhale a painful and ragged wheeze.

"Shut up!" Harry shouted, trying to swallow down his heart.

"Such a sadistic master you are," Bellatrix continued, her eyes gleaming. "To keep you dog suffering for you even though-"

"SHUT _UP_!" Harry nearly screamed, the curse leaving him unbidden and hitting the woman square on the chest. She flew back a foot or two before smashing to the ground in a panting lump, her face bloody.

Harry's heart thudded painfully as he watched as the woman slowly stood up again, blood pouring to the ground.

"You wanna play it hard, boy?" Bellatrix whispered, her wand rising. "I can hurt you without coming even close to killing you!"

Harry tried to swallow when the woman advanced towards him again, his heart picking up the pace even more if possible until it felt like it'd tear its way out of his chest any second. Bellatrix walked even closer until she reached the elevation, her stance like lurking for prey as she looked at Harry.

The youth's gaze swept over the room hurriedly, everything he'd learned and trained for the whole spring just disappearing from his mind and leaving him alone with his panic. His hands shook barely noticeably as he returned his eyes to Bellatrix, only one thought penetrating his panic and smashing to his consciousness crystal clear. Harry realized far too late that he had overestimated himself and his calmness, had naively thought that just because he'd somehow managed to stay calm during everything else he could calmly face a witch far superior to him in skill and knowledge.

The young man swallowed and shifted his legs, feeling Sirius' warmth pressing against him. When the woman raised her wand his world narrowed down only to the warmth, it was the only thing he could think of, the only thing he could feel. Bellatrix's lips parted and Harry didn't know what to do, his brains and body just freezing up completely.

The curse was nearly past the dry lips when Harry felt a shift behind him, the green jet of light missing him by an inch and hitting the woman square on the chest. This time she flew against the wall of Death Eaters, knocking a few of them down with her as she fell.

Harry swirled around and saw the burning grey depths, Sirius' hand slowly lowering until it was on his lap again and his head fell down, his eyes closing. The youth didn't spare a thought to the enemies he was turning his back on to as he swirled around and slumped next to Sirius again, shaking him slightly. The man didn't respond at all and Harry sobbed, shaking harder. He placed his fingers on Sirius' carotid and barely felt the heartbeat, his own heart thudding painfully.

A curse smashed to the stone right above their heads and Harry had just enough sanity left to raise a shield around them, his concentration shattering to pieces when the Death Eaters started to bomb the invisible wall with a curse after the other.

Then, unbidden, one of the youth's lessons with Dumbledore smashed to the surface of his mind, the memory engulfing him completely. He could hear so very clearly what Dumbledore had said, see the man before him with his grave blue eyes that for once hadn't been sparkling.

Harry swallowed and made his decision within the second, starting to search for something sharp whilst trying to ignore the constant bangs echoing through the room. When he couldn't find anything he nearly sobbed again, ignoring the roaring pain in his arm as he dug his pockets. Finally he saw no other way out and placed his fingers on his broken arm, murmuring out the Cutting Curse.

Pain flared up his flesh as his magic overstated again but he chose to ignore it, wetting his fingers in one of the largest wounds now gracing his forearm. He tried to concentrate, to remember from the pounding of his heart. He drew a small mark on the side of Sirius' neck, trying to prevent his hand and fingers from shaking too much.

Harry hardly remembered the words, clinging to Sirius' shirt as he murmured them out.

The effect was instant and in some other circumstances Harry might have commented himself for the fact that he got a spell to work during the first try. He could feel his energy leaving him at a rapid pace, sucked and forced to the other man through the connection he'd established.

Harry came to realize they were surrounded by Death Eaters when he raised his head in the slightest, his vision slightly shaky. All he saw was black robes and wands pointed at them, irony faces all around.

And he didn't know what else to do. Once again.

But then he had the answer. And it was so, so simple. So simple and at the same time so difficult, called from the depths of his mind.

His lips parted, his throat unwilling to let out the words. But he forced it to function, willing to face the consequences of this as long as Sirius would live.

Harry straightened in the slightest, directing his concentration to everyone around him and Sirius. Maybe he found it slightly odd that no-one had tried to attack them yet but he didn't have the time to care, he needed to do this before his courage faded away.

He concentrated, said the words. Missing the sight of a dozen people Apparating into the room as the cursed words left his lips, directed at the Death Eaters.

"_Avada Kedavra_."

And then darkness claimed him.

* * *

So, here we are. The counseling-room makes an appearance again! Welcome our guest!

Dobby: Yes, it is Dobby the House-Elf here today, Masters. Such a pleasure to be here. What is the matter, Author Master Dowash, sir?

Dowash: Ahh, well, you see. I think this chap ended with quite the cliffy and I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again because I have to rewrite like 400 pages now so... I just hope I won't get murdered in my sleep ^^

Dobby: Rewriting? Why on Earth, Author Master Dowash, sir?

Dowash: Because my muse is a sadistic bastard, that's why *growls* And he says the first version's too bright.

Dobby: Bright, Author Master Dowash, sir?'

Dowash: That's what he says. Curse him to the seventh circle of Hell, please? The next chapter just won't go right no matter how hard I try *pout* He's too demanding!

Dobby: Dobby cannot do that, Author Master Dowash, sir. But if Dobby talks to Kreacher the House-Elf? Dobby has heard Kreacher the House-Elf has exclusive photograph-material of Sirius, sir and Harry Potter, sir.

Dowash: What?! What exclusive material?!

Dobby: Dobby does not know more, Author Master Dowash, sir. Dobby is sorry.

Dowash: Don't worry about it, I'm going to see Kreacher now! *a cloud of dust is all that remains*

Dobby: Ahh, there she goes. So passionate. Dobby wonders if Dobby should have a chat with that said muse. It will do no good id Author Master Dowash, sir get's a writers block again in the near future...


	26. Chapter 26

**A.N: **Oukkizay, now here's the next chap for you! Thank you to all the people who suggested a meeting with my muse, I see it worked at least somehow *laugh* No, but really, he's so sadistic I think I'll have to ditch him soon. First he gives me nothing and then, suddenly, it all just comes. I just think I need to warn you that you couldn't be getting this any more fresher. I finished this chapter about ten minutes ago and I must say even _I _think it's a bit fucked up ^^ So, if you see a typo here somewhere it's just because I've been writing like a maniac up till this point and even though I did try to check it over, I'm afraid I might be a bit spelling-error blind right now.

As always, thanks for the reviews. Harry and co. truly appreciate them ;) And I hope you enjoy this.

* * *

Darkness was supposed to be menacing, now was it not?

Harry had always wondered why people were afraid of the dark. But maybe growing up in a pitch-black cupboard might've had something to do with his point of view. But for all he knew, darkness was something neutral. It was the minds of humans, their _imaginations_ that made the blackness so terrifying. It was their own fears and uncertainties that shouted back at them when they were faced with the darkness.

Maybe that was why humans were generally afraid of death. They feared it to be something dark and harmful, lonely even.

If this was what it was after death, then Harry would've been far more willing to die anytime. After all, he was lying on a field full of grass and flowers, listening to the wind's play on the trees and nature itself.

The youth had no idea how long he'd been here, amidst the flowers. The sun shining brightly on the dazzlingly blue skies high above hadn't moved at all but the youth could blame that on the fact that hallucinations rarely held any rules within their guidebooks. He didn't mind much, though, because when the sun was angled like that it warmed his whole body comfortably without blinding him with its luminosity.

The ground was surprisingly soft under Harry's body, considering he only had a thin layer of clothes between his skin and the tickling grass. The flowers all around him emitted light scents that danced to his nose whenever the wind ran cheerfully over the fields, whispering in the trees somewhere far, far above him and behind him. The youth could hear the birds chirping out their secrets somewhere beyond his sight, a cheerful tone he could listen to for hours on end. Maybe he had, even, for all he knew.

Even if Harry closed his eyes against the bright sky the feeling of peace and tranquility remained, like it was flooding in his veins instead of just floating all around him. Oddly enough, he didn't care much about how he'd gotten there or even why he was there because- of all the dreams and illusions he'd had to endure- this one scored the definite winning. Whenever his mind tried to wander to an unwanted direction the wind or the birds pulled it back to the present with their mirthful chit-chatting, almost as efficiently as if he'd been Obliviated.

The youth found it hard to keep track of time in this place. It felt like he'd just arrived and at the same time he wouldn't have been surprised if he somehow discovered he'd been here for centuries already. The sun stayed where it was, as did the birds, and it all created and illusion of perpetuity that Harry was eager to cling on to.

Then it all suddenly changed. Seamlessly, like an act practiced once too much, the warmth died out and the birds disappeared, only to be placed with another kind of light and other sounds of nature. Suddenly, Harry could clearly hear water running somewhere near him, he could nearly _see_ the grasshoppers tuning their instruments before they starting to play their hypnotizing rhythms all around him.

The youth opened his eyes and was greeted with the sight of a conversed crescent moon, peeking from amidst the treetops suddenly obscuring the deep-blue sky now littered with shining stars. He smiled to himself as he searched among the white dots, lifting his hands under his head. His smile turned into a grin when he found the one star he'd been looking for, a small sense of warmth nestling in his stomach.

"I found you," Harry muttered into the warm night, hearing the answering whisper of the wind as it played with the leaves on the trees.

A small distortion ran across the lands to the youth's ears. Oddly enough, it was the sound of the water _continuing_ its run that caught his attention. He hadn't heard when it'd stopped but the noise that followed was loud enough to be equivalent to a shout in his ears, reminding him of a ringing silence despite of all the sounds going on all around him

In some other circumstances Harry knew he might've been worried about what had made that noise- or the lack of it, to be more precise- but now all he caught his brains from harboring was mild curiosity, swimming somewhere in the back of his head. Somehow- in all absurdity- he just knew he'd be safe here. It sounded more like something that a princess in a fairytale would say rather than an apparently dead wizard would think, but even that didn't bother him. And when a tall figure emerged from the shadows gracing the areas between the trees on the youth's left and right, he didn't even have to think of the word 'fright'. He could recognize that way of walking anywhere and was only glad for the company he would soon get. Be it actually real or not.

Harry returned his eyes back to the skies above and started counting the soft footsteps that slowly approached his spot, just for something to do. The grass muffled out the sound nearly completely but the youth strained his hearing, observing.

The man stopped when he was at Harry's side and the youth could feel his presence wrapping its folds around his body, like a comforting and a familiar blanket. The silence returned to grace the lands but they didn't mind, they might as well have had all the time in the world and right now no words were even needed.

Harry slowly turned his head until he was looking at his 'guest' in the eye, a small smile falling to his lips. That was all it needed and the man sat down next to him before slumping to lie on his back as well, staring to the sky.

After that small moment of movement nothing happened for a long while, both of them content with the current way things were laid out. The grasshoppers seemed to move closer and their music got stronger, a hypnotizing tune Harry soon found oddly soporific. His eyelids started sliding down on their own and his whole body turned to lead, dragging him into the awaiting, soft darkness. The youth frowned slightly, blinking his sleep away for a while as he turned to lie on his side and rested his head on the man's chest. He felt an arm draping around his shoulders, fingers starting to trace tiny patterns to his skin before the darkness coaxed him to come along, pulling him into sleep.

The darkness lasted for seconds and hours, just like sleep always did, before the youth came to again. Somehow Harry'd thought that when he woke up again something would be different, that the illusion he was now sharing would've died out. But when he understood his surroundings again and opened his eyes everything looked exactly the same as it had been when he'd slipped into the darkness. The arm was still tightly around his shoulders and the familiar fingers were tracing their patterns to his skin, comforting.

Harry blinked and craned his neck slightly, moving closer to the warm body as they looked at each other. Both set of lips curled up to form smiles and the youth forgot every of thoughts that had been lazily swirling in his mind, contentment wrapping around him like a warm blanket. He returned his head to its original position and trailed the lines of the man's body with is eyes, his gaze following the bent knee before landing on its straightened pair and running even lower.

The grasshoppers had ended their concert but some birds had taken their place, hooting out their opinions of the world into the soft silence dancing all around them. The moon hadn't moved anywhere and was still observing the lands from its heights, casting silvery light to the trees and nature as a whole.

"Is this real?" Harry murmured out to the smooth fabric of the man's shirt, his eyes half-closed against the answer he heard rumbling in the broad chest.

"Does it matter?"

The youth blinked idly before smiling and moving even closer, shifting so that he could bury his face to the familiar neck. "No," he said softly, inhaling the dear scent.

The hand fell from Harry's shoulders and for a fleeting moment the youth thought he'd said something wrong before the fingers returned, dipping under his shirt and pushing it up gently. A faint tremble ran through his body when that single, faint touch ran along his spine. It went all the way from his waist to the back of his neck before falling down again, sliding under his trousers. He could feel the hairs on his arms and back sticking out as the touch was repeated once, twice, a third time. Then it shifted and he felt a palm running up his side, the touch getting lighter until only the tips of the long fingers were touching him. They danced up all the way to his shoulder before retreating again and the whole palm returned, caressing his side.

A shudder ran through Harry's body but he didn't move an inch, too comfortable where he was right now. A small gasp slipped past his lips when another pair of fingers suddenly jumped to his chest, sliding up to his neck before falling away again. He moved slightly and their legs entwined tightly, unbreakably, before he nuzzled closer still. He felt a small squeeze on his side and pressed against the touch, his lips curling to form a smile yet again.

"Maybe being dead isn't that bad," Harry murmured.

And that broke spell. A small distortion rang in the silence and this time the youth felt it inside of him as well, his eyes flying open in time to see the shattering of everything around them- a silence before the storm. The warmth disappeared from his side and he heard the sound of an inexplicable thunder, echoing deafeningly in his ears before blackness leaped forth and drowned everything.

"Sirius!" Harry shouted, his hands groping the darkness. And suddenly he was in a bright room, people all around him, he was sitting on a bed. He could see, barely registering the surprised and shocked looks on the people's faces. Then the darkness came again, ripping him apart.

It swirled, it all swirled until Harry nearly vomited, his head aching. Then it cleared out, taking the nausea along.

Now it was a dimly lit living-room.

Harry blinked, sitting up slowly from the sofa he'd been stretched out on. He let his eyes wander about the room in an attempt to identify his surroundings, to get a hold of his whereabouts.

The youth recognized nothing and at the same time there was something in the room that was oddly familiar. It was like slippery soap; the more he tried to catch hold of it, the more it ran away.

Everything, every wall, was covered in bookshelves. From floor to the ceiling, nothing but books was visible in the light of the fireplace, shedding its unstable glow to the wooden surfaces. Harry turned around on the black sofa and looked behind him, seeing the sturdy table made of oak and polished until it shone deep red in the orange light. There were no windows in this room, no doors. Nothing but books, shelves and one single table. No other furniture than the sofa Harry was sitting on. No other source of light than the cheerfully crackling fire, casting its flapping light on him and the man lying right next to him.

Harry lowered his gaze, staring at the tall figure. A frown descended to his face, for the more he tried to look at the man's features the more they became garbled and unclear. It was like he was looking at a TV with bad reception, going on and off channel repeatedly, over and over again.

Finally he just gave up and laid back down again, using the armrest as a cushion as he stared to the ceiling. The man at his side turned, draping an arm around the youth's chest and resting his head on it. Automatically, the teen's fingers slipped into the inky blackness and started to caress faintly, drawing a never-ending pattern. The flames threw their colors to the dark wood above them, flickering and coiling.

It was so peaceful it was nearly terrifying.

Harry blinked before allowing his eyes to slide shut, listening to the crackling of the wood in the fireplace and the steady breathing against his chest. The man was radiating heat to his side and the familiarity of it was the only thing managing to keep the youth's thoughts at bay, like he wanted them to. He didn't want to think, he wanted to savor this moment of peace with Sirius. For as long as he could.

Time seemed to stop as they just lay there, in the warmth. Harry wasn't even sure if Sirius was sleeping or not, but it held no real meaning whatsoever one way or the other. They just rested there, with the youth's fingers going through the inky blackness over and over again while the arm around his chest tightened its hold even more.

"Sirius?" Harry said finally, when the silence suddenly turned from peaceful to oppressive. He shook the man's shoulder faintly when he didn't respond, calling out to him again. "Sirius? Wake up."

Finally the man stirred and rose slightly, leaning on his hands. He lifted his head and Harry bolted up, a silent scream pouring from his lips. His brains, they didn't want to accept the scenery before his eyes so he yelled out, backing away.

Harry fell over the armrest of the sofa, the mangled redness blurring out in his eyes as he fell into the darkness. He fell and fell and fell, faster and faster, he could hear a high laughter echoing in his ears and all around him before a green light flashed and he landed on something heavily, bolting up again.

The youth was sitting on the same bed again, the people were still around him, he could hear the laughter in his ears as the flash of light repeated itself, right in front of his eyes, over and over again.

Harry screamed out, grabbing a hold of his head between his hands before the darkness stormed forth again and tore him into its infinite folds. It mauled him, hit him, the laughter, it was abusive in the way it echoed everywhere around him over and over again. He fell over and over again, through the flashes of green, flaming light and shouts, cursed words. There was no end to this inferno he'd condemned himself into, no end to the green fire burning him, he could hear the cursed words over and over again inside his head, consuming him. It started yet again and still he fell, for the hundredth time, for the first time, he heard himself letting out the words, he saw the flashes of green, he heard the screams and shouts, heard the laughter. He saw Sirius but the man slipped away, he was behind closed bars that were stronger any mind could bear.

The coldness of the stone, seeping through his clothes, chilling his bones as his breathing formed clouds of smoke before his eyes. He could see nothing but he could see his breathing, irregular and white in the icy darkness the Dementors were creating.

"No," Harry whispered, shielding his head with his arms. "No, nono_no_!"

But the Dementors didn't listen, they hadn't listened, not even back then when he'd shouted out to them from the small hole called his cell in Azkaban. They floated, floated floated gloated in the pitch black darkness that had been Harry's world for those months. Those months that he had supposedly been freed from but here he was again and he deserved it, he'd killed so many people but was it justice to punish someone who did a desperate thing to save the one they loved? Was it justice to toss him in here again? Maybe it was justice but Harry wanted to see Sirius, he had to know Sirius was alright, he was willing to rot in Azkaban if Sirius was alright and alive.

"Sirius!" Harry screamed, called out, aware of the fact that the Dementors were laughing at him, he could hear their high laughter echoing from the walls and from the darkness he didn't want to look at but he had to because it was all around him and the whiteness of his breathing did nothing to help. "Sirius! _Answer me_! SIRIUS!!!"

But the man didn't answer, it was all quiet despite of the high laughter ringing in the silence, it went on and on, the muteness of it echoed in Harry's ears and he sobbed out, smashing his hand against the cold stone of the floor.

"_Sirius_!" the youth yelled, over and over again but no-one answered, why would've anyone answered, he was all alone again. It had just been an illusion of his that anything had ever happened in the first place, he'd been here in Azkaban for this whole time, nothing of the things he'd thought had happened were real, just a sick and twisted game his sadistic brains had decided to play on him.

Harry stumbled up and faced the wall, he knew it was there even though there wasn't that small shred of light coming from under the door anymore. He could feel the dampness of the stones against his hands as he smashed them against the unforgiving surface, over and over again, but even that didn't feel like anything, it didn't even hurt. No blood ran down his arms no matter how long he was there, hitting the stones, no pain seeped through his consciousness and telling him- _warning_ him- to stop. Nothing stopped him from slumping to the cold stones and screaming out again, his nails scraping the stone and still he felt nothing. He was just sick and twisted, not worthy enough to feel.

He smashed his head against the sturdiness and welcomed the oblivion that came with the silent blackness.

But then he was awake again like he'd never been out, the darkness still going on all around him along with the laughter and whispers that had joined in on the choir. No matter he'd nearly broken every bone in his hands, they didn't ache. Not even a slight dull to remind him he was still alive.

Maybe it would've been better to be dead.

Harry didn't want this, he could feel the despair engulfing him even without the Dementors. He could hear himself shouting out the words over and over again, he heard the screaming and shocked shouts. He heard it, over and over again, echoing inside his mind, it was no use if he clutched his head in his hands, it hadn't worked then and it didn't now. He smashed his head against the wall again and welcomed the dizziness that followed but it wasn't enough to knock him out, no, he had a thick and disgusting head that had thought he was somehow better than Voldemort but he wasn't, he was just a murderer no matter how he looked at it and Sirius would hate him now, he would be hated because he was a murderer, no better than the insane bastard. He was just a useless piece of dirt that should rot here for the rest of eternity so that Sirius could have a normal life, the man was free, he'd been free for so long already and Harry'd just shackled him down and claimed him his. He'd had no right to do that, probably Sirius didn't even love him anymore because of all the things he'd done now, he was a murderer and nothing more. Saying that he would bravely face the consequences of killing off so many people as long as Sirius would live was hypocritical, naïve bullshit he'd fed himself to be able to become a murderer, he was no better than the lowest scum.

Maybe Harry deserved to be here, locked up inside his mind for the rest of eternity because he'd become something he'd never wished for. Maybe he did deserve all this, to be here all alone as long as Sirius was alive but there was a catch there, Harry had no idea if Sirius was alive or not, there was the possibility he'd accidentally killed the man instead of the Death Eaters. After all, Sirius had been a lot closer and Harry knew his magic overstated and he'd been panicking and unstable back then, there were no guarantees.

Harry gasped out and clutched onto his head even more, he didn't want to consider that possibility but his brains- being the sadistic piece of shit they were- just kept feeding him more and more of it until he was crying out, wailing and apologizing and cursing, endlessly and infinitely, into the darkness.

The youth could hear the laughter again, this time it was mocking him from killing the only person he had ever truly loved and it didn't take long until he fully believed the voice, saying he'd killed Sirius, the curse had backfired slightly and slaughtered the only dear person in his life and now he was all alone, condemned to a lifetime of misery just because he'd tried to do the right thing and save them from certain death.

Harry was curled up in a corner, his limbs so tightly together it might've been painful if he'd actually felt something, he was crying and laughing at the same time and he didn't like the sounds he was letting out because of the hidden insanity curling up from underneath them. He smashed his head against the stones again and this time he felt something, a fleeting moment of clear-headedness amidst the hysteria and dizziness before it was all gone again and he was alone in the darkness.

Harry smashed his head against the stones again and for a moment he thought he saw a bright room before him, flashing out of his vision before the darkness engulfed everything again. He smashed his head against the stones again and for the second time he saw the room, this time the people in there as well before everything returned to the way it was.

Harry smashed his head against the coldness once more and felt it this time before the bright room leaped forth and he could see everything clearly, the sun was plating everything with gold and shininess. He heard someone calling his name but it wasn't the one he wanted it to be, no, this was a woman or a woman and he had no interest in them, he wanted _Sirius_.

And like called from that thought Harry heard a voice softly calling out to him, this voice came from inside his head so it was okay and it even sounded like the one he needed. Harry nearly cried out in joy as the darkness came again and he didn't have to return to the coldness, no, this time it was warm and he was in someone's arms, someone strong and familiar. He didn't want to believe, he refused to believe, he closed his eyes tightly and held onto this yet another illusion his sick and twisted brains had come up with this time as he buried his face to the familiar chest and nearly cried. He felt the arms tightening their hold around him and he wanted to stop caring. He wanted this to stop already.

*_*_*

"Harry?"

It was the familiar voice, attached to the familiar touch still around the youth. He wanted to hold onto this illusion, he wanted to stop caring and live in a lie if it meant he could stay here. He didn't want to open his eyes to realize he was back in his cell and nothing good had ever happened to him. He didn't want to realize he had killed Sirius and that the man was saying goodbye to him now.

"Harry, it's okay."

How could anything be okay, he had killed Sirius, he had no right to hear those words said with that low and slightly husky voice. He had no right to feel slightly happy when he felt the breath tickling his ear and heard the crackling of the fire. He had no right to move closer when the arms tightened their hold and a soft kiss was planted in his hair. He had to keep in mind this was just an illusion, otherwise he would go insane when the cold, laughing darkness returned.

"It's okay, baby."

Harry had no right to believe those words, muttered to his hair by the man he had only ever tried to protect and ended up killing him in the progress. He had no right to feel the small warmth those three words planted somewhere inside him, making him to press closer still and inhale the familiar scent. He didn't have the privilege to press his head against the warm chest and feel the steady heartbeat thudding against his cheek.

"It's okay."

Harry didn't want to believe those words because if he did, if he admitted even for a second that he believed this was real, he would go back to his cell and rot there, all of this fading away and joining the dead memories only he would know and that would soon exit this world. He had no right to feel the lump in his throat, making his breathing hitch as tears burned behind his closed eyelids. There was no justification to what he had done and he would suffer from it for the rest of his life. Alone.

"I'm sorry," Harry breathed out, his hand rising and clutching onto the man's shirt. "I'm so sorry, Siri. I'm sorry, forgive me, please, I need you to forgive me-"

"Shh," the man said, his fingers sliding through the youth's hair. "Baby, there's nothing to apologize for. It's all right. Everything's just fine, shh."

"I'm sorry," Harry said with a small, teary voice, his hold on the man tightening. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I was trying to-"

"Harry, it's alright," Sirius murmured, rocking the youth back and forth. "It's all well, you did nothing wrong, baby. It's all right. I'm here with you."

"You'll disappear," Harry breathed out, feeling how his tears dampened the man's shirt. "You'll go away and leave me alone to rot in there, I know you will, don't say goodbye to me, Siri."

"I'm not, Harry," the man murmured and the youth felt the lips in his hair again, the warmth he had no right to claim wrapping him even tighter within its folds. "I'm not saying goodbye, I'll be right here with you."

"You lie, I know you are," Harry gasped, for the first time trying to push the man away.

The youth had no right. No right in the world to love someone who'd been kidnapped and tortured because of him, just because they knew each other, just because they'd been close. He had no right to be here now and cry in the lap of a dead man, the man he'd loved and killed while only trying to protect him. It hurt more he wanted to admit, ripping his heart, and he nearly wished he was back at his cell, he hadn't felt anything there, he had been better there.

"Harry, I would never lie to you," the man murmured, his hands caressing the youth's back and seeding warmth he had no right to enjoy under his skin. "I'm not saying goodbye."

"You are, I killed you, you're dead because of me, because you loved me," Harry breathed, more tears falling from his eyes when the man's hold tightened even more until it was nearly excruciating.

"I love you," Sirius said, murmured into the youth's ear like that was the answer to all of his questions. Harry refused to feel the warmth the words seeded into his heart, he had no right to believe any of this twisted illusion of his. "Harry, I love you so much."

And Harry cried. Just for a moment, a few seconds, he allowed himself to fully believe in this. "I love you, too," he breathed out, feeling his nails digging into his skin even through the man's shirt. "I'm sorry I love you so much."

And everything shattered down like made of glass and Harry could nearly hear the high-pitched noise it let out before the darkness collected him again, engulfing him in its depths.

* * *

Don't worry, I didn't get it totally either *laugh* we shall believe in the explaining power of future chapters, now shall we? In the meantime, how 'bout giving me a few lines? =P


	27. Chapter 27

**A.N: **Am I fast or what? *grins* Though I think it's only good my muse is finally co-operating now, maybe I'll get over this bit of the story pretty soon like this. It's been giving me one hell of a headache, really ^^ I'm afraid it looks like the explaining will have to wait a bit more (damn that muse of mine, blame him not me, 'kay? *puppy eyes* that sadistic bastard, I tried telling him people'll want to know what's going on and he just insisted on making this chap like this *laugh*)

I hope you can bear with me on the shortness of this, but as I already said my muse is sadistic and insisted that I cut it there :) I'll try to write mega-long ones in the near future, 'kay? :P

And thanks for the reviews, as always. They brighten my day in off-scale quanta *smiles happily*

* * *

It was supposed to be… alright.

Or so Harry had thought. But that had been before he'd been reintroduced to the darkness and the endless, infinite screams again.

He'd been naïve. Naïve enough to believe in the illusion his brains had been feeding him for so long, even for years for all he knew. The darkness was no way to keep track of time and Harry had forgotten how frightful something like that could be. The screams were his only measure of time now. Nothing but screaming, screaming, laughter and screaming again, over and over again. Over and over, like a record played once too much. Like a curse, making him see all the things over and over again. All the things he didn't want to see, he didn't want to remember them but he did, he was forced to, he was tortured by his own mind second after second and eternity after eternity. And all he'd done was believed in an illusion, tried to save the one person meaning more than the world to him. That had been an illusion but Harry hoped this would be. He wished it would end. He wanted this to end, he didn't even feel his body anymore, he couldn't feel the coldness of the stones anymore, nothing to bang his head against. Nothing to give him salvation from this black and flameless inferno he'd condemned himself into the second he had for once tried to do the bad thing, to be selfish and think of only himself.

This was a punishment he deserved for killing the one he loved but was anyone cut for something like this? Harry didn't know, he didn't want to know, he wanted to take it all back and erase the moment when he'd believed the traitor and went along. He wanted to clear it all, he wanted Sirius to be alive, he wanted to get out of this darkness that suffocated him and laughed at him and mocked him, shoving the coldness and desperation down his throat. This was a doom he'd pulled upon himself but what was so wrong in wanting the one you loved to live and be free? He was doomed, cursed, destined to rot here and he thought he deserved it, he'd believed in the illusion and now he was back here, it had shattered and the coldness he couldn't feel anymore had returned, pulled him into its icy depths and suffocated him from the inside out.

Harry felt like dying, he was so cold but he couldn't feel the coldness, was it only inside his head? Maybe it was only inside his head but he could feel it without feeling it and it burned and scorched him with its icy flames. He was going around in circles, feeling without feeling, seeing without seeing, but he couldn't hear without hearing because of the screams and wails and laughter echoing all around him and inside him, inside his head, he couldn't escape it no matter how much he tried or died trying.

But he wouldn't die, no, he didn't have that kind of a privilege, he had to live and suffer and all the while it etched into his mind more and more, the knowledge and understanding of what he had done, of what he had lost. Because in the end, what exactly made him better than the Death Eaters who mercilessly killed so many people, what made him different from them? Nothing, he supposed. He was just like them, just killing because of the word of kill.

Sirius would hate him now, the man certainly hated him now from up where-ever he was, dead and happy, the man would hate him now, hate and loath what he had become. And Harry saw no way out, it had been his fault in the starting rounds that everything had happened, if he hadn't ever been born his parents wouldn't be dead and Sirius wouldn't have been tossed into Azkaban, the man would be happy and beautiful like he always was and everyone would be so much happier without the burden around.

And Harry felt like laughing, maybe he laughed, even, who could tell, there was hardly anyone there to listen to him cracking up for good and losing his mind like he had been afraid he would when he'd been in Azkaban the last time. He didn't have the mental will to meditate and retreat from all this, and after all he had no right to, this was a justified punishment for trying to be something he wasn't, to try and protect someone and only hurting and killing them in the progress.

Harry doubted he could sleep, sleep was after all yet another way for him to escape this all and that wasn't allowed, he wasn't allowed to have the privilege called oblivion even for a small moment, he was doomed to listen to his own personal insanity and desperation for as long as he would live.

And even if the youth suddenly felt softness pressed against his cheek he refused to believe it, it was just yet another illusion of his, an attempt to unhinge him even further, it was his brains, sick and twisted, playing another prank on him. He refused to hear the soft voice calling out to him from the darkness he deserved, he refused to realize his desperation was fading away because he deserved it, it was only right for him to die by his own hand when he couldn't take it anymore. He deserved the insanity, not this soft voice he didn't want to hear because that would mean he was somehow saved and he had done nothing to earn it, on the contrary, he should be forgotten and left to rot.

Harry refused, he didn't want to feel the softness now pressing and caressing his whole body, he refused to feel the warm hand on his imaginary shoulder he couldn't see from the darkness. There was no-one really there, his mind was just making up these things once again and if he was naïve enough to believe it this time it would most certainly kill him, the shock and coldness would return with a rush and drown him underneath it, suffocate him with its weight until the only lights he would ever see again would be the ones flickering behind his closed eyes before an eternal darkness would claim him. Though, that darkness might be without screams and laughter so it wouldn't be that bad. Maybe he would be even allowed to see Sirius just for a small moment before the demons of Hell would come and claim him. Hell was the only place accepting murderers, after all, so that was where he belonged in, he had no place in Heaven and by Sirius' side after what he had done.

And so, he didn't believe in the reality of the voice calling out to him, he refused to accept the hand now shaking his shoulder faintly. He had no right to be called out to so softly, no right to be shaken so gently. There was absolutely no right in what he had done and he didn't deserve the bed his brains were claiming he was lying on, amidst soft sheets.

"Harry?"

There was no righteousness to the gentleness of that voice, Harry refused to believe anyone would address him in such a way after all the things he'd done wrong while only trying to protect. He didn't want to believe so he wrapped the darkness tighter around his mind, nearly consciously digging out the screams again. It was better listening to his mother dying with that flash of green and seeing himself uttering the same words before a flash of green than to accept anyone being kind to him. That was an absurdity Harry couldn't understand and he had no wishes to do so, he deserved to die in despair.

"Harry?"

There it was again, that voice too kind to be heard by such murderous ears Harry possessed. He could feel the hand shaking his shoulder again, too gently to be actually moving, and he didn't deserve any of that. He had killed, _murdered_, he didn't need kindness. He didn't want to be treated kindly.

"Baby, please. Wake up. Please."

There were nearly tears in that voice and the illusion went on, without Harry having anything to say about it. But he refused to believe in it, he had that much power left in him. He would not fall for the same trap twice and believe Sirius was really next to him, that the weight pressed against the side of his head was real. He had no justified reasons to believe in something so happy and beautiful, he had made sure of that with his own mouth. The same lips that had said 'I love you' to Sirius so many times in order to make it feel even more real and happy had uttered out the words of death and destruction. He had no right to feel nothing but despair, these illusions were simply his mind making the job of going insane easier.

Harry would not believe in the warmth pressed against him. He remembered where it had led him the last time, now did he not? He would not let his mind join in on this illusion of his and lift his hand, he wouldn't have to move it much to feel the silkiness of Sirius' hair in this hallucination. He could feel the man's head pressed against his own, a hand holding his own. But this was only a hallucination so he would not go with it.

"Harry, please."

Harry had believed in that voice the last time, he had believed that that illusion had been real when in fact it had only been his way of escaping, he had believed and been destroyed along with the warmth of the man. Just like a glass breaking, he had shattered and lost everything he had wished for, he had been forced to believe the darkness and screams were real. It would do him no good to believe in this again, he would only destroy himself permanently.

But kids could have imaginary friends, right? He didn't have to believe this was real in order to speak, now did he? He could just go with it while keeping in mind it was a twisted illusion, none of it never coming true.

Just an illusion.

Harry moved his hand into the silkiness and it was just s close as he'd thought it to be. This was his illusion, as it were, so it was only natural, yes? He heard the small gasp against the side of his head, floating to his ear, and he could feel the warmth of it before his hand was grabbed and brought to a pair of warm lips.

"Harry?"

Harry believed without believing, he was tired of the darkness but afraid of opening his eyes. This would feel much less real if he didn't see anything. And so, he kept his eyes closed while mentally reminding himself this was a hallucination. He didn't deserve anything more.

"Yes?"

One single world and Harry realized he had failed, he should have kept quiet. Because the second he spoke and heard the delighted gasp it received, he was dragged a bit closer to insanity. He started believing this was real again. But that wouldn't do, in under no circumstances should he allow his mind to fool him. He had to be in control and bear the screams when they would return again. There was no way they would not come. He had no right to wish they wouldn't. And speaking with a dead man, it had to be a hallucination.

It had to be.

The warmth on the youth side shifted and that small noise rang in the soundless silence, louder than a shout. Harry nearly wanted the screams back, he hated this void. He could feel fingers threading through his hair, shaking tremendously. And for the first time he realized he had a heart, thudding in his chest like it wanted to get out.

An imprisoned bird.

"How are you?"

An interesting question, considering, but Harry didn't know what to answer. What could you say to a dead person who was only here because of an illusion his twisted brains were entertaining?

The fingers circled his ear and that touch was so familiar Harry caught himself believing again, believing in something he shouldn't.

"I'm fine."

But it was a lie, how could he be fine after everything that had happened? Lying was self-betrayal, self-betrayal was destructive. But he didn't deserve more, so he lied. He lied to make a dead person sitting next to him and caressing his hair happy. And for a moment he felt happy too, for if Sirius was happy so then would he, sappily and romantically, but that's how it was. Then he remembered again, no justification for him to be happy, he'd destroyed everything.

"I'm sorry," Harry said into the darkness and the hand in his hair halted for a second before continuing, caressing gently over and over again. He didn't deserve such a thing.

"There's nothing to be sorry for, baby," Sirius said softly and for a moment Harry believed in it, he believed everything was fine. Until the devastation and crushing sadness swam closer again, smashing everything under its weight.

The youth could feel it, the lump in his throat. It wasn't there and suddenly it was, blocking air from reaching his lungs and he deserved even that, he deserved to suffocate. He felt like drowning, hot tears boiling behind his closed eyes as the lump escalated and slithered down to his chest, wringing his heart. He could feel the pain and despair again and he welcomed it, he deserved it after all. His heart thudded against his ribs painfully, blood humming in his ears and through his veins, spreading the desperation even further through his body. His skin tingled and he didn't want Sirius to be there, he wanted to be alone in his misery. But the hand didn't go anywhere from caressing him and the kindness of it broke Harry apart, he had no reason no to doubt the reality of this when his fingers were entwined with longer ones and warm lips pressed against his forehead, murmuring out something too gentle to be real. And he shattered, he could feel the tears spilling to his cheeks as his throat shut down completely, prohibiting him from breathing but he didn't even want to, he couldn't, he'd failed again and believed; he would die alone in the despair again.

Harry could feel the tears trailing their paths to his skin, searing him with their heat. They traveled, painted their path towards his ears, wetting them, going past his flesh and dropping to his hair. And all the while that voice was there, saying things with a voice so soothing he had no right to listen to it, and his tears overflowed even more.

Then he was moved, a strong pair of arms wrapping around him in an excruciating hold, a head falling above his as his face was pressed against something warm and it felt so right, so painfully and agonizingly right, the smell of the man penetrating the haze of tears and forcing Harry to believe once again. But he didn't want to, he didn't want to rot somewhere after this, so he talked, trying to push the illusion away.

"I killed you," he whispered, with a teary and broken voice while trying to push the warmth away. "Go away, I've no right to be here!"

"Shh," Sirius' bodiless voice said from the darkness and Harry could feel a hand, long fingers circling his nape comfortingly. "It's alright, baby."

"I'm sorry I killed you," Harry breathed, feeling the wetness of the man's shirt against his skin, caused by his tears that showed no signs of stopping. "I'm sorry I love you."

"Harry, it's alright," Sirius murmured, so heartbreakingly gently, and it was crushing the youth's heart, he didn't deserve something like this anymore. "I'm not dead, you saved us both."

"Shut up," Harry gasped out, he could feel his fingers grasping on the soft shirt and clinging on to it with a convulsive grip. "This isn't real." And more teas spilled, for more than anything Harry wanted this to be real, he wanted to be out of the despair and held in a familiar, loving hold. He wanted to believe and was afraid of believing, he was going round in circles again and the more he stayed there- engulfed in this warmth so heartbreakingly familiar- the more his mind got sure it was real. But it had felt real the last time he had seen an illusion, it had felt so real and he'd believed in it and left as a crying, pathetic lump when it'd turned out to be nothing more than a last attempt of salvation by his dark soul.

"Harry, this is real," Sirius murmured, whispering the words into the side of the youth's head, and Harry could feel the warmth of the man's breathing against his hair, he could feel the steady heartbeat against his chest, and still he refused to believe, refused to destroy himself. This wasn't real, it couldn't be real because there was no way he could've been saved, no-one would bring salvation to someone like him after he'd killed so many people.

"It's just an illusion," Harry breathed out, a painful gasp it was, refusing to believe his own words but he had to, he couldn't afford getting swept away by this hallucination. It would be the end of his life but in a way that might've been good, no-one would miss a murderer anyway. "Not real, I killed you, I've no right to believe it's real. I'm destroying myself."

"Harry," Sirius said firmly, and the youth could feel the man retreating, going away, and he thought this was the end of it, this illusion of his would end and he would be left wailing in the screaming darkness, but then he felt hands on both sides of his face, pushing his head away from the warmth. More tears spilled to Harry's cheeks because not even this Sirius in his illusion wanted to be near him after he'd killed him, there was no way he would want to, no way at all, Harry was all alone once again.

"Harry," the man said again, with a voice so gentle it brought even more tears to the youth's eyes and to his cheeks. "I'm not dead, do you understand? I'm right here. This is _real_."

"No," the youth breathed in agony, trying to rip these illusion-hands away from his face. "I believed you! I believed you the last time you told me that and it shattered, you left me alone again! The darkness screamed and you left me alone!"

The hands tightened their hold, tilting Harry's head up. He felt a small breath on his face before soft lips met his, scorching him and making his chest wring shut even further as a sob escaped him. His hands jolted before tightening their grip even more, his mind smashing and scattering to pieces, a tingle shooting through his whole body and intensifying on his own lips as the man retreated.

"I'm here," Sirius said, conviction in his voice, from the darkness. And still Harry refused to see, this wouldn't be as real if he kept his eyes closed. "I'll _never_ leave you, baby. Alright?"

"Lies," Harry sobbed against the warm pair of lips. "You're not real, promise me nothing! I don't believe you!"

"Harry," Sirius said, their foreheads connecting. The youth could feel fingers sliding deep into his hair and circling the back of his neck, taking a firm hold. "I'm _real_. Believe in me, Harry. I'm not an illusion."

"You are," Harry whispered, feeling the saltiness of his tears on his tongue and lips. He refused to accept the tingle still feeling everywhere on his body, it was just a trick his mind was playing.

"I'm _not_," Sirius said. "Open your eyes and see for yourself. Illusions are transparent, baby, they shatter. I won't."

"It was real to me," Harry breathed, the lump in his throat and chest escalating even more until it filled his whole body and made it ached, fresh tears pouring down his face. "I believed in it. It was real to me before it all shattered and died away."

"Harry, open your eyes," Sirius murmured, his fingers rubbing small circles to the youth's skin. "And see for yourself. I promise you this is real."

Harry sobbed out, his fingers aching from the tight hold he was still maintaining but he didn't want to let go, he didn't want to give the man a chance to slip away and leave him alone in the darkness. If he did he would be something he didn't want to be, he would believe this was an illusion again and he didn't want that, he wanted this to be real so much. But he couldn't open his eyes, he just couldn't, he couldn't face the possibility that when he did the screams and icy darkness would return and he would be lost forever.

"I can't," the youth breathed, his voice teary and small as he lowered his head and tried to turn away, feeling the ache every of his cells were emitting to his consciousness. "I can't, I'm too afraid."

"It's alright, Harry,Sirius murmured. "Be brave, baby. You were so brave back then, weren't you?"

"I didn't want it, I want to erase it, it didn't happen!" Harry murmured into the darkness, feeling the tightening of the man's hands below his ears. He was pulled closer again and his head was pressed against a warm shoulder, a hand gliding to his back and rubbing shooting circles.

"It's alright," Sirius said with a gentle voice, too gentle for Harry to take. He cried again, against the warmth.

And then he couldn't help it anymore, he was tired of the darkness already. He felt too certain, suddenly extremely too certain, about the reality of this all. He wanted to see Sirius, he wanted to see where they was, he wanted to get a good look of the man he'd killed. He thought he could deserve that much in this illusion, he could have a glance of the man he'd only ever tried to protect before it all shattered and died away again.

Harry's hold on the man' shirt tightened before he moved slightly and wrapped his arms around the firm body, hiding his face in the broad chest. He felt the hold around him tightening and suddenly it felt alright, he thought he could deal with it all, he thought it would be okay again.

Until he opened his eyes.

Harry blinked, frowning at the darkness still presented before him before squeezing his eyes shut tightly and then opening them again. But the blackness did nothing, it stayed covering his sight like a heavy blanket and he saw nothing. No light, no shapes, no anything. Nothing.

The youth bolted and flinched back, his forgotten heart thudding against his ribs again as his breathing picked up the pace until he was panting, gasping for air, in panic the bedcovers getting wrinkled in his grasp.

"Harry?" Sirius asked from the darkness, but it shouldn't be the darkness anymore, the youth had his eyes open and still he saw pure black. It wasn't supposed to go like this, this was his illusion and he was supposed to be able to see in them so why couldn't he? Why was he still trapped within the darkness? Why couldn't he see Sirius' face?

"No," the youth breathed in despair, he could feel it engulfing him again. He fought his grip off the softness to raise a hand on his face, he could feel it, he could feel his fingers pressing against his skin, but he saw nothing, not even a shape. He felt his eyes, they were open, it hurt when he touched his bare eyes, and still he saw nothing, the darkness and desperation had followed him to his sight and taken it away from him.

"Harry, what is it?" Sirius asked, the youth could hear and feel him moving closer but he couldn't see it, he might as well had a blindfold over his eyes, nothing but blackness seeping through. "Harry, what's wrong?"

"No," Harry said again, his hand going over his face, he could feel it going over his face so why couldn't he see it, his eyes were open weren't they? This was his illusion, he was supposed to have his sight so why didn't he? "I want it back," he moaned, whispering out the words, his hand still going over his face. "No, I want it _back_!"

"Harry, what're you talking about?" Sirius asked, incorporeally from the blackness covering the youth's eyes.

"Why can't I see you?" Harry gasped with a teary voice, the lump returning to his throat. "You said I could see for myself but I can't, why can't I _see_ you?!"

"Harry," Sirius said, and the youth could hear him moving closer, he felt the warmth of the man's hands as they landed on his shoulders. Desperation banged strongly back again and he drowned in it, he could hear the screams again inside his head and it made him sob.

"You promised me," Harry moaned, yet another tear falling to his cheek. "You promised I could see you and I was stupid enough to believe! What did you do to me, Sirius?! I want to see!"

"Harry, I didn't do anything," Sirius said and the youth could hear the light calamity lacing the man's tone. "I did nothing but baby, there's nothing wrong with your eyes. They're just fine. You look just fine."

"No, I can't see," Harry breathed, lifting both of his hands to his face. He could feel the wetness of his tears against his palms and suddenly he felt like laughing again. And this time he was sure he laughed, he could hear it echoing in the room and he didn't like how it sounded like, it wasn't him producing such an insane noise, surely, it was just yet another trick of his mind. He didn't sound insane as he laughed, on and on, burying his face in his hands and rocking slightly back and forth in the softness he now hated, with the warm hands still on his shoulders.

He didn't believe this, he refused this, and when another kind of darkness came forth and coaxed him along he went willingly, he wished to be not a second longer in this new, dark world he was finally forced to believe real.

* * *

I think the next chapter might already have some explaining in it (finally, I know *grin*) At least then this could go on a bit, now wouldn't you agree *chuckle*

So how 'bout letting me know how badly you want things explained? Or maybe you just want to comment otherwise...?


	28. Chapter 28

**A.N:** Yay, a longer one! Cheer with me on this one, okay? Now, it's late, I'm tired, and I'm so hitting the sack after this ^^ So again, I apologize if there are some typos but I'm pretty beat up right now. After school started again I've been so exhausted it's not even funny. And as such, I apologize if the next update won't be coming up in the near-near future. But I'll try to be fast, 'kay? *puppy eyes*

Enjoy!

* * *

It was no different when Harry woke up again. The darkness of his unconsciousness was merely changed to the darkness of his sight, painted blackness before his eyes with no shreds of light seeping through.

"Harry!"

But this wasn't Sirius' voice. And it shoved the youth even further down his path of forcible admittance of reality and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not. The despair he had felt was nowhere to be seen but he could feel it swimming just below the surface, waiting for him to break so that it could smash its stinking and sharp claws to his flesh and drag him to the mocking abyss of oblivion and insanity.

A hand grasped Harry's, surprising him with its clamp-like hold as the girl's voice spoke up again, a mingle of relief and terror lurking just under the faked cheerful tone. It tore Harry's ears to listen to it.

"Harry, are you alright? It's me, Hermione, I'm right here and Ron's here too, we were so worried about you, are you alright? How's your arm? Are you in pain? Do you want anything? I could get you some water if you want… I-"

And she went on and on, worry lacing her tone like Harry was a hurt puppy that needed to be taken care of instead of a cold-blooded murdered lying on a bed so comfortable he didn't deserve any of it. And it annoyed him so, he didn't need to be taken care of, he still refused to believe in this reality.

Harry didn't realize he had his eyes open before he blinked and what difference would it make anyway, darkness on the inside and darkness on the outside, it was only appropriate for someone like him. If he was doomed to be blind for the rest of his life then so be it, at least there was

no despair engulfing him infinitely anymore. Though, that might've been better than to feel so empty and useless and pathetic, for if he wasn't engulfed in despair and willing to die then what was he supposed to do, he had no place to return to anymore after the things he'd done, only trying to protect. Was it so wrong to try and protect?

Harry closed his eyes and turned his head away from the high and now nearly hysteric voice, putting up its questions, one after the other. He didn't want to hear, this wasn't the voice he wanted to be talking to him, but he had no right to ask for Sirius, the man most probably hated him now from up his cloudy home somewhere far above. But then again, the man had been here, he'd felt so real, but he'd felt real before and that had been an illusion so Harry shouldn't rely on that too much no matter how much he wanted. But somehow, the youth wanted to torture himself, he wanted to hear what he'd done, he wanted to feel the pain before he'd find something sharp and finish the job his mind hadn't been able to do for him.

"Where's Sirius?" he asked, cutting through the girl's monologue and listening to the deafening silence that followed. He heard the screaming of clothes when someone changed positions and he could only imagine what they looked like, but in truth he had no desire to see their expression, he didn't want to see the dread and discomfort written all over their faces when they'd have to tell him he'd killed the man, he'd killed his Godfather, but Sirius had been so much more to him and the others had no idea. It was none of their business.

The silence stretched on and on and Harry could understand that they didn't want to say anything, why would they? How exactly do you tell someone they've killed their lover and boyfriend and Godfather, though the ones in the room knew only of the latter?

"He- Umm," Hermione started and Harry could nearly _feel_ her discomfort, radiating out like a disgusting pile of smoke, dark and repulsing and so, so very tangible. "He's not here right now, Harry."

"Well, where is he, then?" Harry asked, going from the roundabout direction because even he didn't want to say it out loud, there was still that small, nearly nonexistent hope left he hadn't done such a horrible thing. It was there but it was dying out.

"He- Well- Oh, Harry, he-" Hermione stumbled, her voice dying out before she could finish, like air had run out from her lungs. And the silence returned, heavier than ever, making Harry realize he would have to ask. He would have to say it

The youth's neglected heart spur into action again as he forced his lips to part; he could feel the thumping of it against his temples, his lips, and he remembered the kiss he'd received. The memory made the lump appear in his throat again but he forced it to go away, having enough difficulties finding his voice. It felt like he had to dig the words out from a deep, dark place from somewhere sealed up and locked away, his head humming and his palms sweating as he tried to make his throat to function. It didn't want to and he couldn't blame his body from shivering in dread.

"Is he-" Harry started, his lungs jamming shut and making him gasp for air. His hands grasped at the warm blankets for support he never found, he was left alone in the darkness again as he dragged the words out from the depths of his soul and all the while he was afraid of what the answer would be. He was contradicting himself again, with the desire to never find out and to hear the reply. "Is he- Is he d-dead?"

Silence was all that greeted the youth before a weight appeared next to him on the bed, making it dip. He could feel Hermione's curly and unruly hair tickling the side of his face as the girl embraced him tightly, burying her face to the crook of his neck. He could feel the warmth of her sigh but it felt wrong, it felt disgusting.

"Harry, he-" Hermione started, and the teen could feel the girl's whole body trembling under some turmoil of emotion. He was going to be let in on it soon. Painfully too soon. "Harry, he- Sirius is in Azkaban."

Harry blinked, so very stupidly. A learned habit it was, though, being repeated for so many years already that he didn't even fully realize the meaninglessness of such an act at first. _'In Azkaban'_. The girl's words slowly made their way to his consciousness and the more he understood the more a panic rose up within him, mingled with an insane sense of happiness he felt so very much too inappropriate for a situation such as this. It drilled into his skull and he couldn't even speak, he couldn't voice out his thoughts because all he could think about was how Sirius was alive, the man was alive after all, and right after that came the horrid realization of the other side of that small sentence.

"What?" Harry asked, and he could feel his voice jamming in his throat, making it sound thick and strangled when that one small word slipped past his lips, the same ones Sirius had kissed not so long ago. It hadn't been so long ago. Just a few seconds, they hadn't been apart more, Sirius had been right here, he couldn't be in Azkaban, the man'd said he would never leave Harry again. But if that was indeed so then what was he hearing now, there was no reason for Sirius to be in Azkaban. Sirius had done nothing wrong, he had only loved Harry and apparently he wasn't dead because of it but in Azkaban? Absurd. It was too absurd to be accepted and Harry couldn't stop the chuckle escaping his lips, it was an unbidden noise from his mouth to decide on, these lips where he could still feel Sirius' warmth, pressed again him.

"What are you saying?" Harry asked, a nearly amused taint in his voice that was still thick and so strangled, mauling his throat as it went past it. And he didn't want to believe, he wanted to block it away, and he chuckled again, feeling the tenseness of the body pressed against his side. "He can't be in Azkaban, silly thing. Now where is he, tell me."

"Harry, I'm- I'm not lying, I-," Hermione's voice tried to assure, but failed and died out again from under the youth's ear, tickling his skin unpleasantly.

It was disgusting.

"Of course you are," Harry said and believed it himself, he _forced_ himself to believe it. Forced. There was no way for Sirius to be in Azkaban, there was no sense in such a thing. It was meaningless, he wouldn't accept it, they were just lying because they didn't want to break him by telling him he'd killed his own heart.

"Harry, I-" Hermione started but Harry pushed her away, he didn't want to hear any more lies, he wanted to feel Sirius next to him, not this stupid girl putting up her meaningless stories.

"You lie," Harry said firmly, through the strangulation still inhabiting his throat and chest. He forced his lungs to move, to function through the turmoil of emotions this liar set up, he refused to believe such a petty thing, the despair was a hundred, thousand times better than knowing the one who knew him inside and out had been tossed into somewhere he had escaped from so long ago. "Why would he be there? He has no reason. Don't lie and tell me the truth!"

But something in the silence, the darkness that followed, told Harry the girl wasn't lying. He wanted her to be lying. He didn't want this, it wasn't supposed to go like this. He didn't want to believe in a reality where there wasn't Sirius. He didn't want to believe in a life that didn't have Sirius in it.

"We're not lying, Harry."

And now it was Ron, with his reassuringly uncomfortable and shaky voice that floated to the youth's direction from the darkness. But still Harry refused to believe, it didn't make any sense. It was he who should be in there, suffering from his crimes, rather than someone who'd never done anything else wrong in his life than loved him and thus become an object of blackmailing. It was he who was supposed to suffer from killing all those people, to drown in despair because he'd done something irreversible.

"Why would he be in there?" Harry asked, feeling his eyebrows knitting together in a scowl. He would refuse this. He wouldn't have this, he wouldn't.

"He-" Ron started before suddenly stopping and Harry felt a weight landing on the other side of his bed, the mattress dipping again. He felt cornered and suffocated but only deserved it. "Harry, he- he killed people, mate."

"Nonsense," the youth said at once, with conviction, his voice even more strangled and thick than before. He could feel it, it nearly died out before reaching his mouth and spilling over his lips that still held the warmth of Sirius' kiss and now got only more contaminated the more he spoke in this reality he didn't want to be a part of. "Sirius'd kill no-one."

They shifted, both of the weights on Harry's sides, before each of his hands were grabbed in unison and brought up.

"He, well- He did, Harry," Ron said clumsily and patted the youth's hand even more clumsily. "The- The evidence is clear and he pretty much confessed so- so there you have it, really."

And Harry could hear it, the small and tiny bit of relief and happiness in the redhead's voice, he could feel it in the way his hand was held and he retreated from that touch, his scowl deepening even further. He wasn't even sure if he had his eyes open or not, like he cared anyway, it was just an annotation on this absurd tale he lost more interest by the second time stumbled upon him and forced him further down this path he held no interest in walking.

"Sirius killed no-one," Harry said, his voice as convincing and firm as he could make it out to be without functioning lungs and a heart that skipped every beat like it wanted to stop any second. "If there's a murderer in this room then it's me. Not him."

And the youth felt it again, the discomfort radiating from the two. He pulled his hands away from them and their sweaty grasps, placing his fingers on his eyes. They were shielding those useless balls now. Like it made a rat's ass worth of difference.

"Where is he?" the youth asked again, feeling the other shift his so-called friends made on his sides.

"We- We already told you, Harry," Hermione said and there was a tremendous amount of nervousness in her voice. "He's in Azkaban for killing thirteen people."

"Thirteen," Harry murmured, not able to stop small smile from spreading to his lips when his thoughts ran over that one single word. "I was thirteen when I first saw him… He was accused of killing thirteen the last time as well, right?"

"Harry, that's just it," Hermione whispered and tried to get a hold of the youth's hand again, failing when Harry just yanked it away. "Last time he was innocent but we have proof, several adequate witnesses say he used the Killing Curse on the Death Eaters!"

"Nonsense," Harry whispered and the lump returned just when he'd thought it'd said its goodbyes already, suffocating him with its weight.

He would refuse.

"There were witnesses!" Hermione said, now grabbing Harry's hand and holding it against her chest. "Several witches and wizards saw it clearly, I heard them talking about it! And Sirius pretty much confessed, Harry!"

"_Nonsense_," Harry breathed out, feeling the boiling tears behind his closed eyes again. It burned, burned his body so much he wanted to die. "Fucking ridiculous nonsense, Sirius killed _no-one_!"

"Harry-" Ron started and the youth felt him moving closer, maybe leaning in slightly.

"NO!" Harry yelled, screamed out, freeing his hand to press his palms against his eyes as the tears overflowed and he felt the tingle again. But this time it was different, it was wrong, so wrong it was, this tingle was so very different from the blissful feeling he'd got when Sirius had kissed him, kissed him goodbye as he now realized it. The man had taken the blame for him and was now in the only place able to mimic Hell on Earth, suffering for something he had never done, taken the stigma of a murderer yet again. And the worst part was that Sirius had known exactly what he'd been doing, he'd known the despair that would hit him the second he stepped inside those walls, he'd known what he was condemning himself into when he allowed the monsters residing in there to suck him out of his happiness, the memories they both shared and cherished. The man had known what he was doing and that just made it even more unbearable, he'd done something he shouldn't have, had no reason to, it was Harry who was the murderer, not Sirius, not his Siri, the man'd never done anything wrong.

"Harry," Hermione said, trying to sound soothing, clearly trying again, but Harry wouldn't have it, he couldn't stand this, the despair had been better all along, he would die from this if it continued for much longer. The only one he wanted to sound soothing and comforting was away, locked up because of something he hadn't done.

"No," Harry breathed, pressing with his hands as more tears fell and trailed their paths to his skin. "No, how could he, that idiot, he did nothing, why did he do something like that?!"

"Harry, it's okay," Ron said but he didn't sound convincing at all, no, in fact, all that Harry could hear was something verging on epicaricacy. He wouldn't have this, he didn't believe in this, Sirius was an imbecile but he loved him so much, he wanted to have him back.

"No," Harry said, once again, like repeating it enough would somehow erase the things he'd heard and make everything alright again, make him alright again, get Sirius here with him, to sit beside him, to love him. He wanted Sirius to hold him and tell him it was alright but the last time the man had done that he'd just shoved him away and accused him of lying when he'd been just saying goodbye, making sure he was okay before sacrificing himself. It was something Harry didn't want to think of, it was unbearable, he didn't want to believe he'd said 'go away' to Sirius but he'd been disoriented, he'd had every right in this unrighteous world to be suspicious and unbelieving. And he'd yelled at the man, accused him when he'd only come to say goodbye, Harry didn't even want to start to comprehend how much he must've hurt Sirius.

And even more tears flooded, overflowed, spilling to his cheeks and wetting his hands as he unwittingly shielded his eyes, a learned old habit holding no meaning anymore, not when he was blind like this, he hadn't even seen Sirius when the man'd come to say goodbye. Had they been alone, he hadn't heard anyone else in the room but that didn't mean there hadn't been anyone, watching their every move.

The youth sobbed, refusing to feel the comforting pats he was receiving, he didn't want those pats, not from those two who'd done nothing for him, they _understood_ nothing.

"Go away," Harry breathed, feeling as the hands stopped. Nothing happened and he repeated the words, his voice thick and teary, through the lump- his heart- banging against his throat. It wanted to get out.

"But Harry-" Hermione tried, clearly she tried, but Harry didn't want that, he wanted to be alone.

"Leave," the youth choked out, he felt the light tremble going through his whole body. He could feel it, the storm of emotions, it was whirling just below the surface, just barely under control, he didn't want those two seeing it, he wanted to be alone and with Sirius.

And he heard it, the two sets of heels clacking to the floor after the weights disappeared. Then a door was opened and a blissful, silent, black, darkness descended.

It crushed him.

Harry had the time to crash on his side and gather the blankets around him, to pull them over his head before he curled up in a ball and it consumed his mind.

And thus, he wailed.

He could feel the tears, falling to his hands and trailing their mocking paths to his skin as he sobbed and sniffed and cried out, wetness damping everything around him. He clutched onto the blankets and pulled them even tighter against the world, darkness starting to swirl, and he felt nauseous, enormous sobs ravished and tormented his body, every little just hang on an extremely thin and faint chord, stretched over complete darkness and insanity.

And just for a while, a short moment, Harry allowed it, jumping off the cliff.

He could nearly feel it, the gush of wind taking a hold of him as the last restraint keeping his mind in one piece snapped and he snapped with it, zooming into the awaiting darkness. He fell and fell, he could see the flashes of green light again and hear himself saying the words, over and over again, he cried and sobbed into his hands and into the blankets as his whole body and world shivered and trembled. He felt insecure, so very insecure as he flew and fell, even further down the road of insanity. And it was warm, so very warm and welcomed bliss. His rational thoughts sweetly dissolved until all he could hear was his own sobs and cries in the small nest he'd tried to build against the world, it understood nothing, it got wetter and wetter as he cried his insanity out, he sobbed out his tears and fears and pain until nothing came anymore and the falling stopped, he was left hanging in midair over something he didn't want to see and even couldn't, not anymore.

Harry wanted to sleep but surely, he wasn't endowed with such a privilege. The only thing waiting for him was eternal perdition, he had no right to feel this sweet sensation of sleepiness coming forth, nearly rapturous in the way it surreptitiously sneaked closer to his exhausted, unhinged mind that never wanted to return to reality ever again. But that made him welcome it all the more; he didn't want to be here anymore.

*_*_*

It was a dream. This time Harry was sure. So sure he couldn't get any more certain. Just a dream it was. But that didn't make it any less real to him in any way, he wanted to stay in this world where he could see and be happy.

It was more of a memory than a dream, littered all over with the peculiarities that sleep always brought with it. But it felt more real than reality, the feelings of it so strong it was even more preferable than the irony darkness waiting the youth when he'd wake up again.

Harry wanted this to feel more real than reality because in this dream- in on of these hallucinations he'd tried so hard not to believe in and to avoid and was now craving for because of the small oblivion it offered- he was with Sirius. In the man's arms, in the only safe place he ever remembered being.

The him in the dream remembered, and the Harry in the dream could see. He could recognize the familiar ceiling of Sirius' bedroom, the rectangles painted on it by the moonlight shining from the windows. It always seemed like there was a moon shining into the room when Harry'd spent the night in the man's bed and in this strong, comfortable hold. The youth'd sometimes thought it was because Sirius had charmed it to be so, because he'd once mentioned he liked to look at the moon.

Or maybe it was just his imagination and nothing like that had ever happened.

But the him in the dream could see the rectangles and it was enough. It was… just enough. He could see a part of Sirius' face; the rest was covered with shadows for the man was leaning his forehead against the side of the youth's head. He could feel, feel the man's arm around his shoulders, cradling his side against the warm, so real-feeling and so strong chest. Those long fingers brushed his skin faintly as kisses fell to the side of his head, to his ear and temple. They were hot, the kisses. Kisses that nearly got his attention away from what was happening lower, where another set of long fingers was brushing his skin faintly.

A peck, another of the many Harry could still feel and remember burning his skin, was placed just above his ear, into his hair. The long fingers curled and tugged faintly, making Harry let out a gasp as he clung to the strong arm right before him, as if its only purpose had been to provide something he could hold on to as Sirius' fingers played with him, with his erection, caressing and sliding like butterflies.

The hold around Harry's shoulders tightened slightly and he was pulled even closer against the scorching warmth, his legs spreading more than willingly as the long fingers glided a bit lower. He hooked a knee over Sirius' waist and squirmed even closer, his head falling back against the support he was given as the man blew warm air to his neck and kissed the skin right after, sending a pleasurable thrill down his spine. The long fingers curled around his erection again and slid up the whole length of it, a thumb wiping off the small trail of pre-cum that had trailed its way away from the tip.

Harry's spine arched slightly when the hand moved faster, harsher, a small moan bubbling from his lips as his grip on the man's arm tightened, pulling it closer to his chest. He could feel a drop of sweat gliding down his temple before it was licked off, an other companion of its trailing its way down his stomach and to his side where it slithered to the place where their skins were connected, disappearing amongst its kind. Yet another, a drop of sweat, so small and tickling and at the same time so very intensely arousing, slid down the back of Harry's thigh and disappeared as well, somewhere to the depths where the moonlight didn't reach. A hand followed the drop's path, faint as a feather as it trailed the way down Harry's thigh and broke off the drops of the salty liquid, spreading the wetness around. The youth's spine arched again when the hand reached its destination and then jumped up again, giving his cock a small caress. Another moan, louder and sweeter it was, escaped his lips before its further accomplishes were drowned and swallowed by the man's mouth, a searing hotness that only magnified the one that the youth could feel pressing against his hip and the one that burned his own stomach, all creating a blissful ache he never wanted to give up.

Harry remembered and the him in the dream followed. He felt… He watched and heard as he moaned out again before grabbing Sirius' hand again, bringing it up to his chest before sucking on the man's fingers. He remembered, the look they'd shared in the pale moonlight which for all he knew had never even existed. He felt as the fingers, long and so gentle, played with his tongue before slipping from his mouth and trailing a searing, so sweetly searing and slicky hot path down his stomach and past his weeping cock, down down down, all the way down to his ass. He drew a leg against his chest, tightening the other's hold on the man's waist as he sucked in his breath and waited. A kiss fell on his temple again and at the same time he was entered, those two slicky fingers worked their way into him with a pace he knew was slow on purpose and at the same time it made him wriggle impatiently. It didn't help him, even in this dream, to know Sirius wanted this to be painless. It didn't help him, even in this dream, to know it was a dream.

Harry's wait came to an end, finally rewarded. The fingers retreated, the hold on him shifting and moving him even more to his other side as he released the man's waist and drew his leg up, feeling a familiar hand on his ham. And then he felt it, the searing hotness. It made his back arch as he pushed back, willing his body to open up even more as Sirius slowly pressed inside, all the while holding him and kissing the back of his neck, loving pecks that fell down like the rain.

It felt so real.

The light, illuminating the room palely. The warmth, radiating into him from all over. The bliss, engulfing him further and further the more he felt Sirius' cock sliding into him and filling him completely, filling him with hotness and content and lust and the basic kind of safety he'd never felt anywhere else in his entire life. And when the man pulled back Harry felt like he'd lost some of that and he pushed back with his hips, following the man, before a soft kiss was planted on the side of his head and words were whispered to his ear, loving and so incredibly thick with lust and need. Need for _him_.

"I'm not going anywhere, baby."

And in this dream, a hallucination of kinds, Harry believed that voice once again. He stopped going back and after a second he felt the man's cock sliding back in again, filling him up to the rim with those feelings once again. And the intensity was too much, he let out a shivering moan as his hands grasped on the blankets. The hold around his shoulder shifted and the arm slipped to his chest, pulling him back slightly.

A harder thrust sent Harry to seeing stars and he grasped blindly at the hand holding him, feeling as their fingers entwined and a head came to rest on his shoulder, comfortingly heavy.

And he closed his eyes as well, allowing himself for just a second to solely feel.

It shattered.

The dream shattered away, disappearing and swiveling into the darkness. He felt a shake on his shoulder.

"Harry?"

He grunted, pulling the covers tighter around him. And just for a while, for the few seconds he was trapped in the confusing and blissful limbo between sleep and awareness, he could feel Sirius right behind him, he could hear the man saying 'I love you' all over and over again. And just for a moment it felt okay and normal, everything was just fine, before his shoulder was shaken again and he was cruelly and so very harshly dragged from the only kind of sanctuary he could receive anymore, the only kind of place where he was allowed to see the man who'd gone into hell for him.

And the emotions- all and everything Harry had managed to shun away during this small moment of peace he had been granted with- crashed upon him with their deadly weight, following that thought, suffocating him and making his chest and lungs wring shut. He pulled his legs even closer against his chest and hugged them tightly, pressing his forehead against his knees. The youth wanted to return to sleep, he could still feel the feeble and diminishing sense of warmth and happiness in the pit of his stomach before these cold feelings roared them over, shoving the hotness into the never-ending darkness.

"Harry?"

The youth felt a shake on his shoulder again but he wasn't interested, he was so very tired and wanted to sleep. The only person he wanted to talk with had gone into hell for him.

"Harry, I know you are awake."

Harry frowned, deep inside the darkness he'd wrapped himself into. He wanted to return, go back to the source of those warm and safe feelings, not be in a reality where Sirius wasn't right beside him. He wanted to feel the man's scorching heat pressed against his back, he wanted to feel it again instead of this emptiness now residing anywhere and everywhere inside and outside his body, he could feel the still slightly damp sheets, wrapped around him so tightly, but not tightly enough, Sirius held him so much tighter and it felt so much safer.

"I need to speak with you, Harry," Dumbledore's voice said from amidst the darkness and Harry scowled again against it. He wanted to return to sleep so he could be happy and this voice, it was only disturbing him. It was only disturbing him, he didn't want to open his mouth to no-one else than Sirius.

Harry opened his eyes and stared into the darkness, it didn't matter if he had the blankets over his head or not, it was still so dark. So extremely dark and black but maybe he deserved it and he did, he could never amend on this wrong that had been done to the man he'd only tried to protect and love and now he had gone into hell for him and he had to listen to this old man, sitting next to him and talking, uttering words he didn't want to hear.

Dumbledore… he said he was sorry. He was so sorry, Harry had no idea, he couldn't possibly understand how sorry the old wizard was for all the things that had happened to him. The youth listened, he listened and listened, on and on, the man kept apologizing for what felt like an eternity but he didn't want to be subjected to those words, he didn't deserve such a thing. The one who did was away, he was somewhere off right now.

Somewhere… off. Away, and the more Harry thought of it, the more he denied it. He wouldn't have it. He wasn't away. He wanted to forget, he was engulfed in his own personal darkness where the warmth had already disappeared and nothing but despair was left. He wanted to forget, his brains were making him forget, and all was well like that, he could make himself believe- _kid_ himself into believing- that everything was fine. This was the hallucination, it was better like that. That it was okay not to listen to the endless stream of apologies muttered to him from the darkness. That it was, after all, okay to believe this was the hallucination. The dream he'd woken up from was the reality in reality. If he listened to this man he wouldn't be able to see Sirius anymore. Because Sirius was in that other world, just waiting for him to realize it was all an illusion and he should make it shatter as soon as possible.

He wanted this to shatter, talking had always helped. Every time he'd tried to say something more it had broken down like made of glass. So he started listening again, from this darkness of his.

A hand, Harry could feel the hand as it tugged on his blankets. He allowed them to be peeled away from his head. It didn't really matter because he couldn't see in this world, he didn't care, only staring into the darkness with his wide open, closed eyes. He could sense the small, tiny brush of air on his cheek as the world around him swirled and settled and swirled again. Over and over again.

Dumbledore wanted to explain something. Something of great importance but Harry didn't hear Sirius' name. That was all that mattered. He didn't hear Sirius mentioned and that was all he was interested in, he wanted to go back.

"Harry, this is important," the darkness said with Dumbledore's voice but it couldn't be important, all that was important was Sirius and the man wasn't here.

"Sirius?" Harry asked from the blackness but his question was bypassed, Dumbledore pressed on from the darkness, he hadn't even heard the mumbled word.

"I imagine you have many questions you wish to ask of m-" the Headmaster started, Harry interrupted, frowning slightly into the blackness.

"Sirius?" the youth said and he was ignored, the darkness laughing at him from its asylum.

"The room where you were in when you were taken by the Death Eaters," Dumbledore said, the darkness used his voice as a messenger but Harry didn't care. "There was a Prophecy with yours and Voldemort's names on it, correct?"

"Sirius?" Harry asked, still looking out into the blackness. He felt the soft blankets under his fingers and started to trace patterns to them. He wasn't interested, this illusion might end if he repeated the same thing over and over again.

"What happened to the Prophecy, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked, continuing right after. "He told me to break it. Where is he?"

This could end already, already, ready.

"Is it broken?" Dumbledore inquired. "The Prophecy?"

"I smashed it to his chest, where's Sirius?" Harry asked absentmindedly, repeating and repeating, taking a hold of the blankets. He repeated, repeated, maybe this imaginary talk would end quicker if he repeated and repeated, he wanted to return to Sirius.

"So it's gone?" the Headmaster pestered, and Harry could feel the side of this bed of his dipping, as if the man had leaned closer. "Harry? Would you turn to face me, please?"

The youth didn't move, he didn't want to move, such a move would make no difference to him anymore, not after this darkness that was his only lasting companion in this land of absurdity he wanted to get away from. "Where's Sirius?" he asked, repeated, once again, over and over, this would and could end soon already ready.

"Harry, did you hear what the Prophecy said?" Dumbledore questioned, nearly shaking the youth's arm faintly when he was still ignored. "Harry, I need you to answer me."

"Where is he?" Harry asked, his fingers drawing endless patterns to the white blankets. "He said he'd be here, so where is he?" But he hadn't said anything, nothing like that, Sirius had said he loved him just seconds ago, in the warmth he was craving for, he couldn't find it from here, not anymore, not from this illusion, this had to be an illusion, he wouldn't have it otherwise, Sirius was waiting for him now.

"Harry, I need you to concentrate now," Dumbledore said, his voice grave. "There's something I must tell you."

"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked again, and again he was ignored, cut through, stomped to the ground, and he couldn't have cared less, he wanted to see again with his closed eyes, this should and could end soon.

"The contents of the Prophecy," Dumbledore continued, nearly cruelly, like Harry hadn't said anything, maybe he hadn't, it was an illusion after all. "Are of great value and can mean a great deal concerning your very survival, Harry."

"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked, repeated, said again, repeated, this would end soon. "He said he'd be here so where is he? Did he leave while I slept?" But he hadn't slept in ages, not after the despair that he had for some reason thought to be better than something else but he couldn't remember what it was so maybe it was of no importance.

"Harry," Dumbledore said and the youth never heard the slightest taints of desperation in his tone, too absorbed within his own mind. "You need to listen to me now, Harry."

"I want my Siri, where is he?" Harry asked, his fingers grasping at the softness. "I need him here, why isn't he here?" And it was true, he needed, he needed that warmth, he was nothing without it, he wanted to go back.

"Harry," Dumbledore said, now gently shaking the youth's arm. "Concentrate on this. I need to know if you heard it or not."

"We ran," Harry answered, his hold on the blankets loosening before he started to trace patterns to it again. He could nearly see it. "Through the darkness. He held my hand." So tight.

"Yes, yes, I understand that, Harry," Dumbledore said. "But before that. Before you ran, did you hear anything?"

"He told me to smash it so I did," Harry answered, clenching his fist. He could nearly feel the warmth, feel the other sheets he'd been grasping on just a while ago. He wanted to return. "We ran into the darkness. He held my hand so tight, like he never wanted to let go."

And the youth heard a small sigh, insignificant, before it all started over again. Something else important that no real meaning within. He felt a feeble attempt of a squeeze on his shoulder but he wasn't interested, this wasn't Sirius and he wanted the man to be here.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked, collecting the blankets around his body as he curled up even more, if possible. But he was bypassed like he'd never opened his mouth and maybe he hadn't, who even knew.

"Harry, do you remember the spell you performed?" Dumbledore asked and the youth could feel another, even more feeble of an attempt to get his attention.

The darkness stayed as the same. Why would it change? Why would it ever change for someone like him, he'd killed, he hadn't killed Sirius, right?

"I didn't kill Sirius," Harry said slowly, nearly dreamily, informing the darkness before him of this little, insignificant detail. And it laughed straight back at him. Mocked. He could return soon.

"No, you didn't, Harry," Dumbledore confirmed, but Harry didn't need any confirmations, he'd seen the man and been in his arms just a while ago so he knew much better than this man. "But the spell, do you remember what you did?"

"I didn't kill him," Harry repeated, dreamily again, and again his statement was confirmed, that feeble hand on his shoulder. "Where's Sirius?" he asked, asked from the darkness that laughed at him again through the blackness he didn't like. He wanted to see again.

"Harry, I need you to concentrate on this now," Dumbledore said. "When you performed the spell-"

"I don't care, where's Sirius?" Harry asked, his legs straightening as he turned to his back, feeling secure enough. "He said he'd be here, so where is he? Did he leave while I was sleeping? I know I told him to go away but I didn't really mean it, did he get offended?" That was it, all he needed to do was keep talking and this would end, he could return to Sirius in his reality. In their reality, absorbed in the moonlight.

"I think we should talk about something else," Dumbledore said, and now the hand on the youth's shoulder moved to his arm.

"He held my hand," Harry nearly muttered, a small smile of denial on his lips. "But where's he now? Out, perhaps? He told me he wasn't going to say goodbye so shouldn't he be returning soon?" It made no sense, he knew, he was talking what came to his mind, but he wanted this to end so much.

"Who do you mean, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, and the worry the youth heard was purely connected to the question the man was putting up. "Who isn't going to say goodbye?"

"He, of course," Harry said, his brow furrowing slightly as he directed his blind gaze to somewhere he thought the ceiling was. "Sirius. He said he wouldn't leave me, so where is he now? What're you doing here, anyway? You're not real so I don't want to talk to you. I want my Siri. Where is he?" This held no meaning, it didn't matter what he said.

"Do you not remember, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, his hold on the youth's forearm intensifying. "Your friends were here earlier, now weren't they? I'm sure they told you about… the way things are now."

"She lied," Harry said with conviction, feeling it too. Everything that girl had said was blurry and it was okay like that because it wasn't real, none of this was real, he wanted to go back to the reality where he was be able to see again. This illusion had done its task and he desired to be in Sirius' arms again. "Of course she lied, he wouldn't kill anyone and that's that. Now go away. I want this illusion to end."

"What illusion, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, his voice caring but Harry wasn't interested in that, he wanted to be with Sirius again. He would be, soon enough.

"Well, this," Harry said like it was as clear as daylight, this time consciously noticing when his eyes slid shut. "This isn't real. It's not real. Not. Sirius isn't here so this isn't real. I didn't mean to kill him but if he isn't here then this isn't real." He did it again, saying what came to his mind. He didn't care, he wanted Sirius, he wanted this to shatter.

"But Harry, surely you know that Sirius isn't dead," Dumbledore said soothingly, an odd taint in his voice that Harry held no interest in interpreting. "Surely Ms. Granger told you-"

"She lied because you just don't want to tell me I killed Sirius," Harry said, and the darkness laughed at him, it mocked him but he didn't care.. "She lied, there's no way Sirius would kill anyone, if there's a killer here then it's me, he killed no-one and I just wanted to protect him. What's so wrong with wanting to protect someone you love?"

"Nothing at all, Harry," Dumbledore said, through the sniggering darkness.

And that was it, Harry didn't want to hear it anymore so he turned to his side, away from the old wizard, gathering the blankets around him again. Ignorance was bliss for as long as he could maintain it and he would not allow his real world to be affected with something said in this realm of fantasies and hallucinations. Sirius was alive and well and not in Azkaban, the man was in that blissful place he had been forced to leave from and he hoped to return there soon, as soon as possible so that he could enjoy the man's warmth again. It was safe there.

But it escaped him, that rapturous feeling, the more he tried to attain it, slipping again and again, away and away, making the seconds stretch on after the other as this darkness just kept on going. And then he heard speech again, but it wasn't directed at him so he didn't need to listen. He shut his ears.

"It's worse than I'd imagined."

Someone moved, Harry could hear their clothes whispering.

"What should we do?"

A heel clacked to the floor and that small sound was deafening in this illusion.

"Not much we can do. The after-effects of _Infero_..."

The silence hung in the air and Harry didn't care.

"You mean the spell he performed? I thought it killed him."

The voice, it let out those words so high, so clearly nervous. So clearly on the edge Harry couldn't understand it. He didn't want to, he wanted Sirius.

"It did."

Even more nervous and quite, anxious even, the voice, but Harry wasn't interested, he didn't want to hear this conversation held right next to his bed.

"But I thought you cancelled it."

Hopeful optimism, Harry couldn't understand. There was no reason to cancel anything, he was fine. As long as he could return to his real world soon, he would be happy again.

"It cannot be properly cancelled by someone else."

Harry heard a chair creaking, letting out its protest as someone stood up. Another meaningless voice in this absurd tale, in this mock-asylum. He wanted to return, to go to the real one.

"He's still alive, though."

Something metallic jingled in the ringing silence of the room, just for a small moment getting Harry's attention before he lost interest again.

"I managed to slow down the process but the damage was already done."

Distressed, it was so very clearly a distressed voice and Harry couldn't understand it. He didn't want to, he wanted to return to Sirius.

"They're still alive so that's all that matters, right?"

Again, that ridiculous optimism. It echoed in the darkness, in this giggling asylum.

"I wish I could be that optimistic, Remus. But you heard Harry just now. I fear the mental trauma was too much for him."

Harry was… finally starting to feel drowsy again and he welcomed it with open arms.

"But he's still alive!"

In another reality. This was just an illusion of his.

"Sometimes that isn't the best of options. You know as well as I do how strong the natural barriers around a person's mind are and he had Occlumency strengthening them even further. "

Harry… he wanted to return to Sirius' strong and binding arms.

"But-"

He wanted to feel it again, the safety in that asylum.

"It is not right to have two persons sharing one mind, Remus. It's dangerous. That's why I tried to cancel it before they both died."

Harry was feeling so tired now…

"But you got him out, right?"

He wanted to sleep, to return to the world where he was loved unconditionally.

"Just look at him, Remus. This isn't something that should have ever happened in the first place."

The darkness finally came and Harry could slip into it, the voices of the two fading from these imaginary ears of his.

* * *

**A.N:** My muse is so damn sadistic. Someone kick him on the balls and/or frigging arse already.

I'm gonna murder him if the explanations don't start coming soon *laughs evilly with a maniacal glint in her eyes*

You wanna participate?


	29. Chapter 29

**A.N: **Here... I am again... (gods, you sadistic excuse of a muse! Quit poking me! I'm still awake!! Kinda...)

So, you couldn't be getting this any more fresher once again but I wanted to post it the second I got done ^^ But unfortunately that adds to the possibility of a typo somewhere along the way as well, so if you see one feel free to point it out. I'll correct it in the near future when I'm reunited with my laptop again ;)

Thank you, so very much for your reviews. I'm... happy... And starting to be too incoherent to come up with something sensible. Time to go to sleep, really, but I'm hanging in there long enough to get this written ^^

So, I hope you enjoy this chapter *bows*

* * *

It had all went wrong.

So very, terribly wrong. Just because they had believed. The _Order_ had believed. They had believed in the word of an old man who was supposed to be older and wiser than any of them, and thus somehow unable to make mistakes.

This was the result of such an act and Remus did not want to think of it. He did not want to think of what he had seen in St Mungo's that day, nor the conversation he had been forced to witness.

And yet, here he was, about to dig out those memories again because he had been _ordered_ to explain, to try and offer some support to the two teenagers sitting on a comfortable sofa right before him. Their expressions were too hopeful and at the same time so very too agonized and despaired, two pairs of eyes watching as the werewolf slowly walked in a circle around the room.

Remus glanced at them, briefly looked at Ron and Hermione properly, and within that small moment he was painfully reminded that they were just children. Only fifteen years of life-experience and they had been forced to witness something no-one had ever wished to happen. Their eyes were drilling into his skin, he could feel it as he started a yet another round.

The silence was oppressing with its weight but Remus dreaded the words that would penetrate it, he tried to put off the moment he would have to inevitably crush the hopes of these two youngsters. Because the way he saw it, there was no other solution, no other outcome to this conversation he didn't want to have. It was on Dumbledore's orders he was doing this, because of this thing called _history_ he had with these two oblivious teens. Remus only wished they could have stayed that way, oblivious till the end.

During his trotting around the room the werewolf looked out of the window and into the grounds, an unbidden memory of the four them, the Marauders, flashing painfully and harrowingly through his mind. He didn't want to remember something- _anything_- of their happy days, it felt so very too inappropriate in these circumstances.

Remus turned away and closed his eyes, he didn't want to see the expectant looks on Ron's and Hermione's faces. The two of them knew why they had been called here, into Dumbledore's private quarters, but that didn't mean any of this would be simpler in any way.

Remus didn't want to break the silence but he knew they were running out of time, he had to get it said soon. Dumbledore couldn't hold the floo of information too long to himself and it was better if this came from someone the teens knew even somehow, instead of a faceless and emotionless newspaper.

The werewolf sighed, going to the sofa in front of the two but he couldn't bring himself to sit down. With an emotion very close to self-hatred he turned away and went back to the window, looking down. All the way down and away to the Forbidden Forest, to the place he had been in so many times with his friends he was too frightened and unbalanced to be allowed to remember anymore.

"Is Harry insane?"

Bless the girl, that Hermione, but Remus didn't know what to answer to that. He could hear the tenseness and dread in her voice, with a panicky underlining in it that told the tale of nothing more than nerves that were pushed to the edge and even a bit further than that. The werewolf didn't know what to answer, there was no form or norm that had been shoved into his hands to aid him in this task he had never wanted to carry out before he came here. There was no pre-agreed speech he would soon give to these two, no prep-talk to prepare them for his words.

"I don't know," Remus said finally, having to force the words out of his mouth. He gripped the windowsill in his hands, seeing how his knuckles were turning white, and still he thought he should be feeling more, a bit more of redemption and sorrow. A bit more of those feelings everyone carried within them through their whole lives, always hoping they would never have to look at them in the eye, to escape their sharp claws and slither away with no damage done. "I don't know," he repeated, more to himself, trying to make it sound more convincing. "I don't know."

"I-" Hermione started, once again, her voice so strangled and tiny, like a child after a horrible nightmare. But now there were no parents to take either of them into their warms embraces and tell them it was alright, that everything had been just a bad dream, shh. It would go away now, shh. "He-"

But the girl couldn't go on and Remus, he didn't need his good hearing to make out the feeble sobs scattering their dirt through the room, betraying the portrait of brave Gryffindors.

"I don't know," the werewolf said again, like admitting his own smallness and insufficiency would somehow make everything better, make this conversation disappear before it had to be held. "I honestly don't know anymore."

"What happened?" Ron asked, and Remus could hear the boy was trying to sound brave, he tried so hard, but there was the same calamity in his voice, the same feeling of being inadequate to understand something of greater meaning.

"I don't know that, either," Remus murmured out, talking to the Forest. Maybe this would be easier if he just kept talking to the forest. "We didn't get there in time, we only saw what had happened and drew our own conclusions."

"W-Which were?" Hermione asked, sobs still ravishing her body as she clutched a napkin between her shaky hands. "What did you see when you got there, Professor Lupin?"

And there it was, the shield Remus could use against those feelings. He could hide behind the façade of a Professor he had once been, to keep a professional distance to those two teens sitting on the couch, desperate to hear some answers. That was the ward he could wrap around himself, to make this educational in his mind, it didn't concern him personally in any way.

"Dead people," Remus said, knowing it came out so very too roughly but he could do naught to amend it, the words had already passed his lips and slithered to emit their poison into the air in the room. "Thirteen dead men and women, scattered around the room like someone had cut off their strings and just dumped them where they lay."

"The people Sirius killed," Ron said immediately, but too soon. So very too soon for the teen to be actually believing in those words, too certain of the truth to see that it was most probably a lie. "I heard mum and dad, Sirius killed them all, that's why he's in Azkaban, right? Right, Professor?"

It was a childish question, asked with a childish voice that was desperate for some consolation and a warm embrace in this nightmare they could not wake up from. It was filled with the very inmost desire those two held right now, the wish they wanted to be granted whatever the cost would be. It was something Remus did not want to hear, a question he did not want to answer, because it would most definitely be the wrong words that would finally erupt from these lips of his.

"We can't be sure of that," the werewolf said, feeling the weight of those words in his heart as his mouth formed around them and sent them out into the open, to contaminate even further. "We saw nothing, we can only rely on what Sirius told us."

"But he confessed!" Hermione said, her voice teary as she tried to make sense out the situation, to make it more pleasant for them, but to no avail. It was a lost battle, fought only for the meaning and absurdity of the word win. "He confessed, Sirius confessed the murders the second he woke up and was allowed to see Harry for a while! He told them, I hear he told them clearly what he did, there was no reason to doubt his words!"

Remus heard it again, the childishness. He was cruelly reminded that that was exactly what they all were in this world, only children looking for that warm embrace and those soft, loving words that told them it was alright, shh. It would get better now, shh. He'd wanted to believe in that childishness but life had taught him the hard way that after you reached a certain point in your journey towards the Grim Reaper, it was expected of you to be the one to give out those words, to be the one to embrace and say it would be alright, shh. There was no-one to embrace a grown werewolf and tell him it would get better now, shh, when the full moon came.

"He might've… lied," Remus said, forcing the words out, once again. He could nearly see the stain they left on the window before him, disgusting blackness sliding down the glass.

"You mean… protected," Ron whispered, a strangled noise it was, for the teen did not want to understand the meaning of those words himself, he did not want to admit he had just accused someone dear to him to be a murderer.

"It's possible," Remus said, resting his head against the window-frame. He closed his eyes briefly and blackness fell before his eyes until it was replaced with a memory of that day. "We don't know," he repeated once again. "All Dumbledore was willing to explain was that Harry used some spell from Ancient Magic and saved Sirius' life. That's all. That was all we were let it on."

His words, they rang in the silence of the room.

"A- Ancient magic?" Hermione asked, her voice so shaky and reduced it was barely audible anymore. "Nonsense, Harry doesn't even know of Ancient Magic and if he did, he would know there is a cost to everything that is done using it, you can't go tampering things without giving something in return."

Her words, they rang in the silence of the room.

"What kind of a spell it was, Professor?" Ron asked, reminding Remus again of the shield he could pull upon himself as he distanced his thoughts from this matter.

"I did not understand all of it," the man said, talking to the memory before his eyes. "Infero is what it is called, though."

"Infero," Hermione repeated, a small whisper was her voice. It was so painfully and agonizingly clear she knew of that spell, it rang in that single word, in the way it was spoken, and in the silence it left behind. The girl knew and her frighteningly sharp mind did the rest, connecting the pieces. "No, Harry couldn't. He can't. That's forbidden. He can't. I read about it, it's forbidden. It said it was so forbidden, it's not right to do such a thing…"

"Hermione," Ron said, there was a new taint of calamity in his voice. So very extremely, painfully clear. "Hermione, what is it?"

"He couldn't, he can't," Hermione murmured, muttered, nearly sobbed. "No, no, I read about it. It's taboo. It's forbidden, the extortion on the mind and magic… The caster could die because of it. It's not right to give away your magic and life-force. It must be mistaken, they must be mistaken, there would be a sign, he would've needed blood to do it, and Runes. There's no way he could've done it, it requires too much. It's too difficult. It's taboo, it's forbidden! I know he didn't do it, Professor, tell me Harry didn't cast Infero!"

Remus… he couldn't turn around. He didn't want to face the sight awaiting him. He wanted- for the very first time in his life- to be and run away. He shouldn't have been the one to do this. "There- There was a mark," the werewolf said through the thick lump in his throat, feeling as it escalated even further down and dug its roots to his insides as Hermione let out another shivering sob. "On the side of Sirius' neck. There was a mark there. Runes, written with blood."

"No," Hermione gasped, the napkin wrinkled and wet between her hands. "He couldn't! It might kill him, our magics are not supposed to mingle! Not like that, bonding is different! I read about it, it's taboo!"

"Hermione," Ron said, clearly, so very clearly trying to comfort the teen. "But what about the Killing Curse, then?"

The question was directed at Remus, the man knew this, but the girl was quicker, words pouring from her mouth with a mindless, babbling tone.

"Doesn't matter. It doesn't matter either way," Hermione nearly moaned, twisting the napkin. "They were connected. No-one's supposed to be connected like that. It doesn't matter anyway. If it was Sirius he drained Harry dry of his energy. The source of our magic within out bodies is nearly infinite but it's not everlasting, there's a boundary one should never cross. It's too dangerous. And if it- it- if it was Harry, it's the same. He gave his magic to Sirius, it was a shock to his mind. There was no way he could have survived. Even one K-Killing Curse absorbs a great deal of magic and energy and Harry had to do it thirteen times worse, there's no way he could've survived. The magical shock was too great on his body. He- h- he s-should be d-dead…"

Hermione stopped, the silence ringing with the shock her words brought about as her lips moved silently, forming around the last words.

"He should be dead," the girl repeated, nearly blatantly. "He should be dead but we saw him. He talked to us and looked just fine. I don't understand, Professor. It's impossible for him to be alive anymore, he-"

"He wasn't," Remus cut in, a sigh ripping its way through his body and slipping past his lips as he finally turned to face the teens. But he couldn't look at them so he talked to the floor, to the piece of mat that was colored gold by the shining sun. "When we got there he- Harry was dead."

Hermione sobbed, she sobbed loudly but there was that small, tiny bit of triumph in her eyes, she had gotten her assumptions right and in other circumstances it would've been… commendable, maybe.

"I- I don't-" Ron started, his voice dying out because of the emotion loaded so heavily into those words, suffocating them into his throat.

"Of course, it makes sense," Hermione whispered, her hand rising to cover her mouth as her brains worked. Her frightening brains worked out the rest. "It makes sense but no. No, it's too risky, the natural barriers around a persons mind… He would've been killed anyway, there's no way… They're too strong, he- he had no chance…"

Remus nodded slowly, his face filled with sorrow as the girl's tears in the girl's eyes overflowed and she lowered her head, crying into the napkin in her hands. The werewolf could feel the aching of his heart; he could see it reflecting in those two teens as well.

"I don't-" Ron started again, and again, he was overwhelmed with the emotions, his hand gripping his knee so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

"Harry escaped," Hermione murmured into her napkin, her body swaying back and forth slightly. "If he cast the Killing Curses or not, it doesn't matter. His body… it was probably drained of everything and he was dying, his mind tried to escape…"

"So- So he-" Ron stumbled, desperately trying to follow the disjointed and unclear explanation Hermione was putting up. "So he… Harry tried to go into Sirius' mind, is that it?" Remus nodded along with Hermione, her shoulders shaking with the force of her cries. "But- But that's impossible, even without Occlumency the natural boundaries around a persons mind are close to unbreakable, it's not possible for someone to just- to just go inside and be there, there- there're defense-mechanism and- and all kind of stuff…" His voice died out when Hermione shook her head, her cries getting louder.

"Sirius' mind fought back, it tried to chase Harry away," the girl whispered. "We were there. We saw it, don't you remember?"

"But- But that was in St Mungo's, _days_ after… that!" Ron exclaimed weakly, the corners of his mouth twisting down. "It- Harry was okay then, he was just in a coma! He wasn't dead anymore! I don't understand this!" He nearly shouted, a tear shimmering in the corner of his eye.

"A body can live without a mind," Remus said, whispering out the words because of the painful emotions he was engulfed in. "That is what a Dementor's kiss is all about. Even if the soul gets sucked out, the body can function. The Healers were able to revive Harry's body but his mind wasn't there, it wasn't."

"Sirius' mind fought back, it didn't want Harry in there. It's not supposed to be like that, it's not normal," Hermione muttered. Sobs, they mauled her body. "He woke up, can't you remember? He woke up, we saw it. He sat up, can't you remember? But then he just screamed like someone was torturing him and fell back down, he was holding his head, remember? His mind didn't want to return, it was drawn back to Sirius because nearly all of his magic and life-force was there. There was nothing of him left in his original body."

"But- But Dumbledore came!" Ron tried, his voice nearly teary like he didn't want to believe such a thing and who would have. "He came after Sirius had woken up, I saw him! He did something and said it would be okay again!"

"It wasn't," Remus said quietly, painfully. "Something like Infero cannot be cancelled properly by someone else, Dumbledore only stopped it and managed to convert some of Harry's magic back before he was sucked dry, before his body withered away."

"But- But Sirius was in Azkaban by then already," Hermione whispered, pressing the wet piece of paper against her lips as more tears fell to her cheeks. "He'd already confessed, he was in Azkaban because there was no need for a proper trial, he was locked away!"

"Distance doesn't matter, Hermione," Remus said, his eyes flitting to the window once more before he finally forced his body to sit down. "The connection was still established, Sirius was sucking out Harry's magic without even consciously noticing. _Time_ means nothing."

"But- But he should be better now, right?" Ron asked. That childish hope again, and Remus wished so dearly it could be maintained for at least a small moment more. "The connection is cut, so Harry should get better. But why's he blind?"

"You idiot, the connection cannot be severed," Hermione whispered, into her napkin. But still, there was that childish hope in her eyes too. It would get better now, shh. "It _cannot_, not by anyone else than the one who did it in the first place. Harry, he- he's b-blind because of something like that, Ancient magic always takes its sacrifice. There _isn't a time_ it doesn't cost something. It cost Harry his sight, he may never get it back again. That's why Ancient Magic shouldn't be used, it's too unpredictable. There're no guarantees what it will take in return…"

The silence, it rang again, Hermione's muttering slowly dying out into the deadness of the room as the sun pulled away its rays of light and disappeared behind a tower, leaving them in darkness.

"I- I want to see him," Ron said suddenly, his voice so very too loud in the silence. It was alright, shh. "I want to, I need to see him, I need to see he's okay."

"Ron," Remus said softly, gently, almost reaching over the crack between them, drawn in the air, before his rational mind caught up with the motion and he halted. Never reach over. "I know you miss your friend but… you need to understand. Harry might not be the same Harry you knew before this all happened. We cannot say for sure what happened to him while he was unconscious. He might be… mentally unbalanced."

"He's not insane," the teen said, so very too quickly again. It wouldn't get better now, shh. "He's not, I know Harry, he's strong, he's not cracked or anything so let me see him."

"Ron-" Remus said again but now Hermione joined in, her eyes red from the crying and tired from the turmoil of emotion.

"Please, Professor," the girl whispered with a voice so heartbroken and sad Remus found he had that lump in his throat yet again, escalating, escalating into his mind.

"I…. I don't-," Remus tried, but felt his decision wavering under those looks. "Very well," the werewolf muttered after a while, deciding against his better judgment. His head dangled briefly before he took support of his knees as stood up, an enormous sigh welling from deep within him. "I don't think we can be there for long, though."

"It- It's fine, Professor," Ron said quietly, taking Hermione's hand as they stood up as well and watched as the man tapped the cup on the table, transforming it into a Portkey. After the radiant, blue glow had settled they all touched some part of it, feeling the familiar tug behind their navels as their legs were yanked from the ground and they drowned in the whirl of colors.

They appeared before the door to Harry's room, seeing the golden patterns the already setting sun was painting into the walls throughout the corridor on their left and right. Somehow the light made the absence of people slightly terrifying.

Remus glanced at his clock and after deeming with a sigh that they had enough time, he took the lead and carefully opened the door to the youth's room. He could hear Ron's and Hermione's footsteps echoing behind him as they entered, forced to halt in shock when they took in the condition of the room.

Everything, everything they could see and everything they couldn't see was torn to shreds, everything that was even slightly able to get broken lay on the floor like broken toys that a spoilt child had thrown aside when grown bored of them.

But the worst… the worst was the walls. There had been a tapestry covering the wood when Remus had last visited, it had been some happy pattern, even, but now it was torn away, shreds of it still hanging from the wall like the one who had been tearing it apart hadn't quite reached that far up and had finally just given up and left it like that, moving to the next bit. And where there was wood, there was blood, streaking the brown surface like a mocking imitation of tears that had no other way of escaping that to become something else.

From amidst the chaos, they nearly couldn't find Harry. He was so small, huddled in the farthest corner of the room, facing the walls as he sat there on top of his shins, his head against the wood. Broken and scattered debris lay all around him, like he'd had a tantrum and thrown everything within his reach into the wall from where it had bounced back. There was more blood in that corner, it was plastered everywhere within Harry's hand's reach, and the closer the trio got, the more they realized it wasn't just meaninglessly smeared color, haphazardly painted out. It was a name, initials, drawn all around them all over and over again.

"Harry?"

Hermione was the brave one, she was the first to speak again. But her voice was shaking so very too much as she addressed the immobile youth sitting on the floor, her eyes flitting to every direction like she was trying to decide on the fastest escape-route if Harry would answer. But she didn't need to, the youth showed no response.

It was… wrong, so very wrong. Remus could smell the blood everywhere around them and some of it wasn't fresh, no, this had been going on for hours already. But there were no signs of a Healer that had stopped by, it didn't look like there had been an attempt to clean this up.

"Harry?"

Now it was Remus' turn, he took a step closer to the youth. It was distressing, so very distressing to see Harry sitting like that, facing the corner so quiet and immobile, like there was no life left in him to spare anymore. It sent a chilling shiver down the man's spine and he could feel the hairs at the back of his neck sticking out as he took a yet another step forth, biting on his lips faintly.

"Harry?" the man repeated, going as far as to crouch down and shake the young man's shoulder. He was so certain that the skin under his hand would be cold, sticky with cold sweat, even, that when warmth was what greeted his senses he nearly pulled back in shock. Remus swallowed, repeating the youth's name as he shook a bit harder.

Then, Harry moved, just a twitch of the mouth but they saw it. His eyes fluttered slightly before he moved, his hands rising against the wall.

The sight of the youth's nails… it nearly made Remus vomit. He already had a hand halfway to his mouth as he swallowed, forcing the bitter taste down in his throat, but he couldn't' stop the shudder smashing through him. It looked like Harry had been clawing at the wall, over and over again, so many times his nails were almost completely gone, nothing but bloody mass left. More blood trailed down the youth's red, dirty hands as he pressed them against he wood, his head tilting as a nearly dreamy look entered his face.

"He's not there," Harry said, so languidly and so very emotionlessly it chilled their bones. His eyes were half-open but all that greeted them was a dull greenness, nothing of the usual fire left in them as the youth stared into nothingness.

"Where, Harry?" Remus asked, trying to sound calm. The youth looked fine otherwise, the hospital's robes hanging from his too thin shoulders and only emphasizing the screaming declaration of how emaciated Harry was once again.

"Here," the youth said, a small smile on his face as he knocked the wood with his knuckles. "Too bad, I though I could go to him that way but I guess I'll just have to find an other way to make this shatter."

"Go to who, Harry?" Hermione asked, standing so close to Remus the man could nearly feel her legs against his back. "There's no-one there, on the other side."

"Yes there is, you liar," Harry said, and the lack of feeling- of any kind of emotions- in his voice made his visitors' heart miss a beat, especially when the youth just continued to smile that smile. That horrible, twisted smile they had never wanted to witness falling upon those lips. "You lied to me before, you know, I don't want to believe you now, either. He's there, all I need to do is make this go away and I'll be there with him."

"Harry, mate, there's no-one there," Ron said, so very clearly uncomfortable and distressed. "It's just a wall."

"Lies," the youth breathed, still smiling that smile of his as he rested his forearms against the wood and his head to his arm. His eyes were still half-open, seeing nothing. "He promised me, you see. He said he wouldn't leave me alone anymore, got it? I'll believe him. I _do_ believe him," Harry corrected himself, his smile widening. "He'll come for me surely, sooner or later. I know it… he wouldn't just leave me here…"

They all swallowed, in unison, dread creeping under their skins and poisoning their minds. It wouldn't get better now, shh.

"Oh," Harry said suddenly, turning so that his back against the wall. His hand, his bloody, mauled hand wandered about for a second or two before hitting on Remus' forearm and squeezing nearly painfully. The youth heaved himself on his knees again, his head tilting as he opened his eyes properly and that blind, dull green looked deep into the werewolf's own amber eyes. It terrified the man more he could even describe, for even through he knew Harry couldn't see he could nearly feel the oppression of that look weighing him down and shackling him to the floor, his brains screaming when his eyes fell to that twisted smile again.

"Remus, is it?" Harry asked, his head cocking nearly curiously. "Well, it doesn't matter," he said after a while of silence, his smile getting wider and losing an amount of sanity. It chilled, chilled Remus' heart to see that kind of a look on the face of someone his best friend loved so much. "I want to ask you something…"

Remus swallowed, he had difficulties to get his throat to function under that stare. It wasn't alright, shh. "Y-yes?" he sputtered, his tongue stumbling upon that one single word and making it jam in his throat that threatened to leave it as an incoherent croak.

"Why do you think people are afraid of heights?" Harry asked, completely reasonably all of a sudden as his hand loosened its grip slightly.

"I- I don't know," the man answered, completely and so absurdly confused he didn't even stop to think what he said. "Because they have acrophobia?"

And Harry laughed, silently and so coldly and emotionlessly it made Remus make an unintended jerk back, away from such a noise.

"Right from the book, Moony," Harry said coarsely, still chuckling. "But no, I don't think that's why people are afraid. You wanna know what I think?" The youth chuckled for a last time before letting go of the man's hand and slipping back again, against the wall. "They're afraid of the darkness, Moony," Harry said quietly, drawling out the words with an odd and disturbing taint of triumph lacing his voice. "They're afraid they'll fall and the nice little Grim Reaper comes for them and takes them with him into the darkness. They're afraid of _dying_. Remmy…"

The man swallowed, he had no idea what to answer to something like that. But it turned out he didn't have to, for Harry seemed to have something more to say.

"I'm not afraid," the youth said, so frighteningly languidly. His hand rose and he tapped his temple, the smile twisting his lips again. "I can't be afraid, I'll go insane if I do, you see," Harry explained. "If I get afraid of the darkness, if I get afraid of _heights_, I'm done for."

The youth said it calmly, completely reasonably, but there was something in his voice that told the others he wasn't alright, there was something disturbing underlining in his tone. But he didn't say anything else after that and no matter what the others tried, he stayed quiet. Locked up in his own, private darkness.

*_*_*

They left finally, the youth could hear it. An annoying Healer had come to tidy things up after the so-called _tantrum_ he'd had, all the while muttering to herself with a tone she clearly thought wouldn't reach the youth's ears to his spot on the bed. But she had gone away, they all went away eventually, leaving Harry with these mock-imitations of memories he had here.

He wanted Sirius. He wanted the man so badly, but the walls came into his way, they wouldn't budge no matter how long or hard he clawed at them or banged at them and pleaded out. They wouldn't move, not an inch. They wouldn't let him free from this dark world he had no escape-route from. But Sirius had promised, he had promised he wasn't there to say goodbye and Harry believed him, he believed the man, all he had to do was to believe and get out of here and he would be fine. All he had to do was believe, and claw at the walls. He didn't feel the pain on his fingertips, no, he didn't allow himself to feel it, it was something too petty to be mentioned in this asylum of an asylum. He wanted to return to Sirius now.

But these memories, dark memories, were hindering him, forcing him to concentrate on them instead of on Sirius and he didn't like that, no, Harry didn't like that, he wanted to be alone and claw the wallpapers off because they were dirty, he couldn't write Sirius' name into them, it just got smeared by his blood. But here they were, around his body, voices from the darkness. Annoying, high voices Harry didn't want to hear, he didn't want to listen to them. They weren't Sirius, he would only listen to Sirius anymore. But Sirius wasn't here, he wasn't, he was just outside that wall, all Harry had to do was to get out, get through and break the illusion this room was making him believe in, and he would be free. He would, he would be able to see and feel Sirius again, he hadn't felt the man near him, not after that old, meddling fool had come to disturb him and had pulled him away from his reality. This wasn't his reality, no, it wasn't, it was right outside those walls. These were just illusions, memories.

The three had left through something. Harry had heard it, there had been a click, he'd heard it even when they'd come from the darkness.

There had to be a door here somewhere, but why Harry hadn't realized it before he did not know. He didn't even care, but if there was a door it meant he could leave, it was possible for him to shatter this illusion and return to Sirius, yes.

Harry strained his hearing, trying to make out if anyone was in the room with him. They were sneaky bastards, sometimes he was sure there was someone there with him but when he called out no-one answered, only the darkness mocking and laughing at him from its blackness.

The youth, he didn't hear anything and a smile spread on his lips, he would do it now. He'd been here for too long already, trapped inside this cold and nauseous illusion for an eternity. Clawing the walls didn't help, no it didn't, Sirius wasn't behind those walls, huh? Harry remembered, the redhead had said so, but he didn't believe, he believed in Sirius and the man had said he wouldn't be left alone anymore, no goodbyes to be said.

It was alright, shh.

All Harry needed to do was to get out but he was cunning as well, he wasn't nearly a Slytherin for nothing, no, he would make himself less suspicious.

There was a wardrobe in the room, Harry knew this as a fact, he'd felt it, he'd tried to push it aside to claw at the wall behind it but it hadn't budged, that fucking sturdy thing made of wood. But now he didn't need to push it aside, no, he could just open the doors and take what he needed, no more clawing was necessary because he could just walk out of the door, he could walk out and make this all shatter like Sirius wanted him to. He just needed to change clothes in case someone was indeed in the room with him, he had to look okay when he left to make sure no-one suspected anything.

Harry felt out the outlines of his bed before quietly slipping off, hearing the rustle of his clothes as his feet touched the cold floor and he relied his weight on them. They were slightly wobbly at first but it was alright, it didn't matter, this happened all the time when Harry took the first few steps on the chilling floor after lying down for a while. The youth didn't let it bother him as he headed to the general direction of where he knew the wardrobe was located, feeling about with his hands slightly to prevent his body from bumping into anything. It could be slightly painful, Harry knew from experience.

The smooth wood of the wardrobe-doors slid under the youth's fingers and he smiled that smile to himself again as he opened them, taking a step back out of habit to avoid the impact. For a second or two he just stood there, looking into the impenetrable darkness. He heard the whispers around him again and took action, stretching a hand inside the shelves and feeling about for some clothes.

"Is there a mirror here?" the youth asked absentmindedly, his fingers tracing the vacant pieces of wood.

"I'm here alright," a voice said to his left, amusingly enough sounding disoriented. "What d'you want?"

"What do you think? Clothes, of course," Harry replied. His fingers continued their journey.

"Well, there's a pair of jeans right next to your right hand," the mirror instructed. "And a shirt above that. I think you should manage with those."

"Thanks," Harry said, snaking out of the thing he was wearing to slip on the jeans before he pulled something that felt like a hoodies over his head, tapping it slightly to get it land properly. "Well?"

"You'll do, can I go back to sleep now?" the mirror asked, and there was just something so very human in this illusion that Harry let out a small chuckle, giving a yes into the darkness before closing the doors.

He was ready to go now.

Using his hands as some sort of scouts, the youth made his way to the door relatively quickly. The smooth metal of the handle slid against his skin before he smiled widely and turned it.

Of course, nothing but darkness greeted the youth but he was prepared for this, no worries. He just needed to walk a while and this would shatter, he would see Sirius again and feel him pressed so tightly against his body.

The youth took a step outside, into the awaiting and unfamiliar darkness, and he heard the door clicking shut at his wake.

There was nothing but blackness.

Harry turned slightly, his hand sliding along a wall as he took a tentative step again.

"Sirius?" he said quietly, his voice echoing in the darkness. In the blackness he wanted to go away.

Nothing, nothing at all greeted him, no kind of a reply answered his question. But it was alright, Harry could deal with it, maybe he had to walk just a bit more to make this all shatter.

He took a step, another, a third. All the while his hand slid along this imaginative wall he wanted to shatter, he wanted it to break down and bring the light with it. He wanted to see Sirius again but it was okay when the man didn't answer, maybe he was just a bit further away, a bit deeper in the darkness. The knack was to find him, to make this all disappear and fade away. That was the reason Harry walked on, the wall as his guide as he came to a sort of a crossing and went right, he went right into the darkness.

But he wasn't here, not even here, the man wasn't. And Harry got slightly sad, Sirius had promised him, but it would be alright, just a bit further. Maybe he wasn't calling out loud enough?

"Sirius?" Harry said, louder, leaning to this wall he wanted to shatter. Nothing but darkness greeted him, nothing more. No husky laughter, no warmth pressed against him. "C'mon, you promised me!"

The blackness stayed silent and Harry moved on. The unbreakable wall was his guide.

"Sirius?" the youth called out again, stopping at something that felt like an intersection again. "Hey, please! You promised me, right? Where are you? You said you wouldn't leave me! You promised!"

Harry heard it. He was sure he heard it, the clack of a heel somewhere behind him. He turned, a slight smile already on his face as his lips parted.

"Sirius?"

But the sound stayed quiet, it stayed quiet for so long before slow heels clacked towards him from the darkness.

"C'mon, say something already!" Harry said, turning around nearly fully. He frowned when the darkness quieted down. "What is it?" the youth asked, trying to feel about to catch the man's arm. "C'mon, where are you?"

Then his hand was grabbed, out of the blue, and Harry could instantly feel it wasn't Sirius'. It wasn't, so whose was it?

"No, let go," he cried out, trying to yank his arm free. "C'mon, where's Sirius? He promised me, okay? He said he'd be here!"

"Mr. Potter," someone said, a woman, but Harry didn't recognize her, he didn't want to, he wanted his Siri.

"No," the youth breathed, yanking his arm free and taking a step back. "No, I want my Siri, where is he?!"

"Mr. Potter, I think it's best if you come with me now," the voice said, trying to sound soothing, but Harry didn't care, no, he didn't, he wanted his Siri. A heel clacked forth and his arm was grabbed again, it wasn't gentle, no, it was harsh and Harry didn't want to be feeling it.

He tried to yank his arm away. And succeeded.

But the darkness had betrayed him, there was no solid floor under his feet as he took that one step back. A surprised yelp erupted from his throat as he fell, he flew, he felt the unnerving sensation in the pit of his stomach before- just for a while- he could feel his body smashing against something hard and unforgiving.

And surely, it wasn't his mouth letting out that pained shriek before a different kind of darkness came, dragging him along with it again.

The Healer at the top of the stairs was panicking. But luckily the boy's yell had been heard and more people were coming.

More people came from the reliable, elite group of Healers in the Closed Ward of the St Mungo's Hospital.

* * *

**A.N:** It had some explaining in it, right? Right?!

So, my muse might just be clear from the murder-threat *is still sending death-glares towards said muse*

And just so you know, _he _was the one who insisted on cutting the chap here, not me. Honestly, that guy has a death-wish or something *laugh*

Lemme know what you think, 'kay ;)


	30. Chapter 30

**A.N: **Well, all I'm gonna say this time is a **huge **!Thank You! to all the wonderful people who have reviewed! My brain isn't working enough for me to come up with some other brilliant stuff to put here *laugh*

Enjoy!

* * *

Floating was nice.

It could make Harry forget. He didn't need to feel the gnawing pain on his back and arm if he let this gray smoke whirl around him and muffle every single sound away from him, leaving him in the ringing, blissful silence.

Time held no real meaning.

Harry had once again no idea how long he had been dancing with the ghosts here but he found it hard to care. He didn't even have to think of anything any more he wanted to and for the first time in a long while he felt light. Light and free, unrestrained by the thoughts of his lower self.

It was beautiful here. And that was all that mattered, because it felt nice and he wasn't in pain. He could _see_ the smoky grayness and whiteness and why wouldn't he? His mind wasn't restricted by the faults of his body anymore, the same body that laid somewhere far away and _he_ held no interest in it.

Floating was nice because Harry could feel Sirius in here somewhere. The man was here, amidst the whiteness that swirled everywhere around him. He was, Harry knew the man was here, he was sure of it. There were no walls to be broken this time, no darknesses to be shattered. No need for something like that, Sirius really was here. Just a short way ahead.

But as the youth floated on his spot, his eyes wide open to see every single shift in the air around him, unwanted thoughts slithered to his mind. They were cunning, those thoughts, too cunning. He didn't want to accept. He wanted to be left alone.

The venomous, black nothings clawed their way into his consciousness, surreptitiously creeping into his mind and attacking him when he'd just nearly forgotten them. They claimed it necessary but Harry wanted to disagree, he had to disagree because it wasn't necessary to shatter his mind with these poisonous lies. He knew very well _this_ was the reality and the one down there was the realm of his fantasies, he didn't need these nothings to come and tell him it was the other way around. He wouldn't have it, it wasn't real. This was, it wasn't, it was as simple as that and Harry wouldn't have something to come and tell him the body that felt broken and in pain was the real thing.

He wouldn't.

Harry forced his eyes closed for just a second, just a small while, but even that was too much and when he saw again everything was getting tainted with blackness. It slithered, he saw it, the darkness slithered and crawled forth from everywhere around him, extracting its tendrils towards him and diminishing the swirling grayness. He sat up, could do nothing but watch but it was okay and it didn't matter. Sirius was still here.

Then it all swiveled and fell apart, destroyed so very beautifully and silently only to come together again within the second. It left Harry in the middle of it with his open, for now seeing eyes. Nothing but blackness but this wasn't the kind of blackness that blind people had to endure, no, it was a different kind of darkness this time. A normal one.

Harry stood up and it had never been easier. There were no rules to be set and acknowledged here, he just straightened his legs under his body and was all set, about to go and explore this normal darkness that wasn't his.

He walked for so long and at the same time it felt like he'd just started. It didn't matter. All that mattered was the fact that he could feel Sirius more strongly now, the man was closer. He was, Harry could feel it, he didn't want to listen to the voice telling him this wasn't- in the most fundamental meaning of the word- real. It was truthful, it was beautiful, but not real. No flesh and blood here, something like that wasn't required from a spiritual being.

As Harry walked, he came to notice the change in the darkness. It had been warm before, something else than the coldness now emitting into his skin and poisoning his insides. But it was still okay, Sirius was in here somewhere, and even if Harry heard the familiar screams again, if he heard his mother screaming and begging, it was still okay. Sirius was here somewhere, amidst the whirling chaos and despair that shouted out the words for death, over and over.

Harry didn't see anything and still he could see. One of those peculiarities again, but he didn't find it worthy of acknowledging. All that mattered was that he'd seen Sirius. He could see the man, in the horizon of this black and dark place that kept throwing its useless and unneeded opinions at him as he started to run. Sirius was right there before him.

Harry ran through the darkness. Then, suddenly, he was hit with a sensation of something smashing through his whole body, crushing him with its force. A blinding pain swallowed him.

And the liberating unconsciousness… it laughed at his face before finally coming idly.

*_*_*

Everything seemed to be so soft nowadays.

Harry's mind was caught within the realm of his dreams, distraught and disoriented like only sleep can be as he tried to claw his way up the slippery and pitched wall into consciousness. But his hands lost their grip and he repeatedly fell further in, his mind in a mingled and mauled chaos as the black reality outside his body got tangled with the one within him. Words were murmured somewhere right next to him, a familiar voice ringing in the silence. It slithered into his dream and became a part of it, soft fingers of the impossible wind caressing his face and hair as it all whispered around him.

"I'm sorry."

Those quiet, muffled words penetrated the haze of sleepy blackness in Harry's mind and he stirred slightly, just enough for his thoughts to cling onto that sentence and awake him fully from his slumber. He could feel a weight on his chest, familiar and heavy in the way a head was resting against it and fingers clung onto his shirt. And as he observed it all from the darkness behind his closed eyelids he felt the hold on his shirt shifting, tightening, like the one behind it was afraid that he would disappear, dissolve like smoke or a ghost of the past if he let go for a second.

"I'm sorry."

There it was again, that sentence that had awoken him. It was said with so many heavy emotions that Harry barely understood the words, the man's voice so thick and desperate. He felt a faint flutter in the pit of his stomach, swirling almost peacefully before halting and disappearing.

"It's okay," Harry murmured into the darkness, his hand rising to slide through the inky blackness pressed so tightly against him. His body felt the shift Sirius made as the man moved even closer, their legs entwining so tightly.

"I'm sorry," Sirius whispered, and Harry could feel his warm breath through the thin fabric keeping them apart.

"It's okay," the youth said again, rubbing the arch of Sirius' ear with the tips of his fingers as he slowly opened his eyes. "It's okay," he repeated, saying it for the both of their sakes as he stared into the darkness.

"I didn't mean it," Sirius whispered against Harry's chest, his fingers sliding along the warm shirt before taking a tight hold of it again, nearly pulling the fabric towards himself in an attempted to find some support. "Please, I didn't mean it."

"Shh, I know you didn't," Harry murmured, his fingers combing through the silkiness as he just said what was appropriate. He wasn't allowed to know what Sirius meant by that. And his fingers ran to the back of the man's neck, circling there, the warmth and familiar curves comforting in the darkness.

Sirius moved even closer, his arm sliding over Harry's chest as he hid his face in the crook of the youth's neck, inhaling deeply like he hadn't breathed in a long while. It was as if he was cherishing the faint scent that danced into his nose, the warmth of the body under him.

"Are you going to stay?" the man asked, breathing the words against the youth's ear. Pleasant shivers bloomed throughout Harry's body and he smiled into the darkness, moving his head so that he could lean his cheek against Sirius' hair.

"Would you like that?" the youth asked, drawing his leg up as he shifted slightly. He could instantly feel the tightening of Sirius' arm around his chest, binding him sweetly like telling him not to go.

"You shouldn't be here," the man said quietly, but it was just a statement. He was implying nothing one way or the other.

"I'm usually somewhere I shouldn't," Harry said, a small smile falling onto his face as he felt the warmth of Sirius' chuckle against the side of his neck.

The youth's eyes slowly danced through the darkness around them, registering the nothingness all around him as they laid there in silence. He could feel the man's warmth pressing against his side and if he strained his sight he could faintly make out the lines of Sirius' body right there next to him, real enough and firm.

Harry closed his eyes, listening to the sound of their heartbeats reverberating in the blackness. He could feel the steady thump of Sirius' heart against his side comfortingly regularly as they lay there. The small weight of the man's arm around his chest had never felt sweeter or safer, the smell of his hair bringing a sense of peace into his mind.

He ran his fingers along the man's shoulder, dipping them in the inky blackness with the smile still on his face before letting his fingers fall lower, to the warm side right under his palm. Sirius made a small sound and jerked closer, making the youth's smile widen.

"I didn't know you were ticklish," Harry said, his smile turning into a slight grin as he let his hand travel lower and finally under the man's shirt before sliding his fingers back up underneath it.

"So sue me," Sirius murmured with a faint laugh, turning his head just enough to press his lips against Harry's pulse-point. His arm tightened its hold before he moved, rising to lean on his elbow. Harry let his fingers fall and get hooked in the loops of the man's pants as he looked through the darkness, barely seeing Sirius' face.

"Is this real?" the man asked, his head tilting slightly as his hand slithered into Harry's hair and his fingers curled around the back of the youth's neck, his thumb brushing past the exposed skin.

Harry swallowed, his eyes sliding shut against that question as he blindly lifted his free hand and slid it up the man's arm, the flutter returning into his stomach as his fingers slid into the blackness and he pulled Sirius closer. "Does it matter?" he asked when he felt the man's warm lips lightly pressing against his, making the flutter shift into an irregular but all the more sweeter palpitation that echoed through his whole body, a thump that moved even lower and seeded warmth at its wake. His only answer was a faint chuckle, painted on his lips before they were captured with sweetness and tenderness.

Harry was beginning to realize that this wasn't real. But it didn't stop him from enjoying it.

Heat bloomed all over his skin when Sirius shifted and slid to lie on top of him, the man's hand venturing down nearly teasingly. His fingers got caught with the hem of the youth's shirt, slipping under it. A small, telltale sound poured past Harry's lips when that hand moved slightly higher, caressing his skin. The noise was muffled by Sirius' own lips and tongue, gently playing with Harry's own and lovingly perusing every inch of his mouth.

The youth moved slightly, giving Sirius more space as he hooked a leg over the man's waist and pulled him even closer. Their waists grinded feather-lightly against each other and it made them gasp into the kiss, their holds tightening before shifting and becoming even more binding. Harry slid his arms around Sirius' neck to pull the man down, feeling how a strong arm slithered under his shoulder for a hand to cradle his head, its accomplice slipping downer again before reaching his waist and going even lower, cupping his ass and lifting him up against the awaiting warmth.

Their kiss had to be interrupted for their lungs to get some air but it was brief, meaningless against the flow of time before they drowned again. Harry could feel Sirius' warm chest pressing against his, the man's shirt rubbing against his exposed skin as they got even closer, their holds tightening into the point of excruciating and still they yearned, wanted more.

And it felt so very real.

Sirius' head dipped, tilting to the side as he ran his tongue over the youth's jaw-line. His hand moved, fingers digging into the denim-covered skin until Harry let out a small sound and his body arched up, grinding. The man lowered his head and nuzzled into the warm hair, his teeth catching the soft arch of flesh before he kissed the skin behind the youth's ear, hearing an answering, shivering breath from right above his own. He trailed his lips lower, letting his hand release its hold on Harry's neck to drag it down the youth's sweetly wriggling body. Sirius hooked his thumb under the hem of Harry's shirt and pushed it up, letting the fabric pool against his palm as he lowered his head and loved the chest exposed to his vision. He bit down on the inviting skin, feeling the slight jerk Harry made towards his mouth before fingers slid into his hair. They tangled and tugged, forming into a weak fist, even, when he licked on the hard flesh and grinded against the willingness under him.

Harry gasped and his back arched, his head tossing back as heat scorched him with its forcefulness, a happy smile leaping onto his lips and staying there. His fingers tugged Sirius' hair lightly but pushing the man away never even crossed his mind, his leg tightening its hold around the man's waist when he felt the torturous move made down there.

Sirius' lips ventured down the youth's chest, inch by inch, kissing him into madness bit by bit. His fingers stayed curled around the youth's shirt and Harry grabbed a hold of that hand, their fingers lacing together tightly as his spine arched, a small moan slipping past his lips. His mind was sweetly empty, all of his consciousness filled with the warmth on his stomach and the straining heat between his legs, creating torturous friction whenever Sirius moved a bit lower and his upper body pressed down a bit harder.

When the man reached the line obscured by Harry's pants the youth felt a small distortion going through his mind. The sensation got drowned under the feeling of Sirius' teeth, biting him gently as his hand moved and let go of the shirt, slithering lower. Harry's body rose up slightly to keep that touch on him, his legs shifting as his head tossed back again.

Then the youth felt the distortion again, stronger this time. He chose to ignore it in favor of Sirius' fingers that were sliding under the waistband of his pants teasingly slow, the man's tongue licking his hipbone and his teeth leaving a small, red mark on it. Harry wriggled slightly, feeling the burn around his hips escalating and spreading throughout his whole body like wildfire when those fingers finally reached their destination, drawing a low moan from his lips.

A third distortion came and it made Harry feel nauseous, the darkness before his eyes twisting and turning before it was over again, all he could feel was Sirius' hands and lips on him. But not even the scorching heat he was feeling, the sweet torture of the man's presence, could shun out the coldness creeping into his limbs and freezing him from the inside, killing off the pleasure. The youth gasped and rose to sit, seeing Sirius' questioning gaze from his waist-level before he grabbed the man's head between his hands and pulled him up, hurriedly bringing their lips together. He could barely feel the warmth of Sirius' tongue against his own anymore, the arms wrapping around him feeling thin and unreal as he tried to cling onto that, tried to keep this illusion alive.

But it was futile, like it had been every single time before. Harry could feel Sirius disappearing, evaporating into the darkness that was rushing forth again, and this time it was his darkness. He knew it too well.

Only one thing he heard before his ears were deafened. Only one word was spoken and that tore his heart.

"Harry!"

The blackness swiveled and drowned them both, tossing them back into their own personal darknesses they had been able to escape from just for a while.

*_*_*

Dumbledore was worried.

But only slightly, and that was what he kept telling himself. He would not allow his mind to be fully concerned, for that would mean that he was somehow giving in to the situation- this _nightmare_- that had been presented before him so suddenly and unexpectedly.

But he should have been caught on-guard instead of off, he should have been able to do something instead of this insignificant sitting.

The reason for his worry was lying right before him on those white hospital-sheets, wrapped in light blue robes that told the tale of the meaning of this place. The small body seemed to be drowning in the mass of blankets and covers Mrs. Weasley kept straightening over and over again, her hands moving nearly compulsively.

The Headmaster had thought it to get better when he'd severed the connection- _bond_, even- between Harry and Sirius. He knew it could not be erased completely, though, not by him or anyone else for that matter, but he had been confident that it would help. He had managed to convince Fudge to give Sirius a last visit, a few minutes alone with Harry after it had been done, believing it would be alright. But Sirius had come from this room looking shocked, beaten and sad. All in one and it had made Dumbledore think not for the first time if what he had done had been right. He had known that even _trying_ to severe a connection that had been established by using something as _Infero_ was nearing impossible. But he had believed in himself, he had pulled the cape of seniority and wisdom over his shoulders as he'd assured to everyone that yes, Harry would be just fine after this. And the Headmaster wished he could have made Sirius believe that as well, but at the time the man hadn't seemed to be able to hear anything, not resisting in the slightest as three Aurors had taken a hold of him and Disapparated, returning the man into the Hell he had been suffering in for nearly three weeks already.

Dumbledore looked at Harry's immobile form on the bed, an ugly-colored bruise that was marking the youth's high and otherwise white cheekbone screaming out on behalf of the rest of the injuries on him. His body was covered with thick blankets, leading to the assumption that he had a fever or it was midwinter and freezing cold.

Neither one was right. Harry's body just couldn't keep the warmth it was producing within it. It was as if he had an error in his system, jamming the vital receptors in his brain and telling it he was doing alright when in fact if he didn't have all those blankets and heating charms on him he would be in a coma again, this time because of hypothermia.

Dumbledore had been informed of Harry's behavior- the things he'd started doing the second Sirius had confessed and been taken into Azkaban. But to him it had been nothing, just reports he'd read and distraught stories he'd heard from Remus. And if the werewolf had looked worried and tired, he had somehow naively managed to blame it on the full moon or the fact that the man's best friend had repeated the slaughter from fourteen years back, only this time for real and with full confession and evidence.

"Harry?"

Hermione's hollow voice rang in the silence, stopping Mrs. Weasley's hands for a second before she continued, straightening and straightening the sheets around Harry's nearly dead-looking body. The girl leaned forth, her face looking both pale and flushed in the soft lights of the room as she clutched the blankets.

"Harry, I know you can hear me," Hermione said, her voice breaking down under the forced conviction she was trying to get into it. "Harry!" the girl repeated, her hands jerking when the youth showed no signs of responding, his pale face staying emotionless and empty. "Harry!" Hermione nearly screamed, suddenly leaping forth and grabbing the youth's shoulders to shake him almost forcefully. "Wake up already!" the girl said, her voice strangled and panicky as her eyes flitted over Harry's face. "C'mon! You-"

"Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said, joining in on the game and trying to pry the girl's hands off the youth. "It's going to be alright, darling, Harry-"

She was brutally interrupted when Harry's eyes suddenly flew open, their unfocused and wide stare directed at the ceiling as his whole body arched like he was having a seizure. His heels dug onto the mattress as his hands grasped at the blankets, his fingers curling around them weakly as his head tossed back. A low, gurgling and choking sound shot from his mouth as his eyes widened even more, his body jolting forcefully.

A small, screamingly red trail of blood poured from the corner of his mouth as he continued to look at the ceiling, his blind eyes seeing nothing and understanding nothing as his body slowly relaxed again, his grasping fingers letting go of the sheets as he slumped against the bed with a sigh, almost sounding defeated as his eyes slid shut again.

Mrs. Weasley and Hermione stood beside Harry's bed, holding onto each other's forearms as they looked down to the once again immobile body, identical looks of shock and anxiety on their faces. The youth coughed faintly and more blood poured from his mouth before he stilled again, leaving them.

Silence rang in the room, the small sound Harry had let out echoing horribly in everyone's ears as Mr. Weasley went to get a Healer, his journey slightly wobbly. The red trail on the side of the youth's mouth was removed with an insignificant spell, deleting all traces of anything ever happening from his visitors' eyes. But not from their minds. No.

Ron and his father sat with blank faces next to Dumbledore, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley on the other side of the bed, and all of them were just staring down to Harry. Just sitting, waiting for something to happen again. Waiting with their ignorances, none of them knowing a thing. They wrapped themselves in the illusion of getting support from each other in this, so that they could be supportive to Harry when the time came. It was a nice, beautiful thought.

An hour ticked by, then another. Nothing happened and the only sound that was audible was Harry's heavy breathing, the youth's chest rising and falling uneasily. Hermione had slumped into her chair a long time ago, burying her face into her hands as sobs started to ravish her body.

Then, when the day was once again fighting and losing the battle against the spreading darkness, Harry moved again. It was a tiny shift, only one of those skinny and far too much skeleton-like fingers twitching, but they all saw it because they had been watching him unblinkingly. And that was it for a few minutes before Harry's head suddenly tossed to the side, his whole body jolting as he let out a small sound that was both so chilling and saddening in its pain that it made a shiver to run through his visitors' spines. Hermione lifted her face from her hands, her eyes bloodshot and watery as they all looked at the youth.

"No," Harry whispered, his fingers grasping at the sheets. "No, please," he begged, his voice broken as his head dug back into the pillows and his whole body twisted. "Please, Siri, no…"

And it made their hearts ache, for they thought- all of them, in their faked wisdom they were wrapping themselves into- that they knew what Harry was talking about. They thought they knew what dream the youth was having and that in itself led them astray, shoving them ruthlessly away from the desired path their minds wanted to follow. They would eventually just fall off and get crushed by the wheels of their imagined superiority.

"Please," Harry whispered again, his knuckles turning white from the brutal force of his hold. Remus would've understood the youth's tone of voice but he was away, sleeping restlessly and shallowly in some dark room simply because he had been too tired to even sit up anymore. There was no-one else in the room that was familiar with the whole story. And that was the reality Harry was forced to wake up to.

They could see the youth's eyes slide open, tiny bits of dull green visible before he blinked and opened his eyes fully. His staring gaze was directed to somewhere on the opposite wall, his lips moving like he was talking but no sound slipped through into the nearly awaiting darkness wrapped all around him.

Harry's fingers grasped at the sheets again, the blankets getting wrinkled under his hands. His head turned slightly, that empty stare wandering about the room like he was searching for something before his eyes slid shut again.

"Harry?" Hermione piped out, her fingers on her lips and she was nearly gnawing at her nails as she looked at the youth.

Harry's head tilted towards the girls' voice briefly, nearly in passing before his brow furrowed and he turned his face away. "Liar," he whispered, his voice raspy and small and it hit Hermione like she had been slapped hard across the face. Her nails nearly dug into her skin as fresh tears flooded into her eyes, her head bending down.

"What kind of dreams were you having, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, her voice shaking slightly under the tremendous effort to keep it steady and perky. Her eyes shot down to the blankets she had spent hours in straightening, now getting more and more wrinkled by the second as Harry's fingers grasped and clutched them.

"Nice try," the youth breathed, his voice breaking in the middle of that small sentence and ending with a small cough. The silence rang. "I was with Siri," he said.

"Really?" Dumbledore cut in between. "And where were you in that dream, Harry?"

"I dunno," the youth answered, his fingers gripping the sheets again as he straightened his head and opened his eyes, his gaze directed at the ceiling. "I could see."

"Well, that's good, then, now isn't it?" Dumbledore said pleasantly, his ancient face grave as he looked at the youth. "What did you see?"

"Nothing," Harry answered insipidly. "It was dark."

They all shared a glance.

"How're you feeling, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, entwining his fingers on his lap. He managed to keep his voice steady but the worry was seeping into his mind again.

"I want Sirius," the youth said, his body shifting slightly and making the blankets whisper all around him.

They all shared another glance, each of them thinking exactly the same thing. Harry didn't mean it to sound the way it did.

The wheels were moving.

"Harry, Sirius isn't here right now," Dumbledore said, hiding the desperation in his tone from everyone else but himself. The chair creaked under him as he bettered his position, the illusion of a sun setting behind the window blinding him with its redness.

"I know that," the youth answered, and his tone made his visitors' chest wring shut as snakes appeared in the pits of their stomach. That wasn't a voice they wanted to hear pouring from his mouth. "I'm not stupid, I know he's not here."

"Do you remember what happened the last time you were awake?" Dumbledore asked, somehow taking up the speaker's role in this twisted play they had to all act in.

Harry's eyebrows knitted together as his empty stare gazed at the ceiling. His knuckles were turning white again. "No," he said, _lied_, and it was blatant in the way that it wasn't, someone in that kind of a condition should have no reason to cross their fingers.

"Well, you- you walked in your sleep," Dumbledore said, his eyes intense as he looked at the boy lying on the bed, nearly as immobile as he had been before. "And you fell down a flight of stairs, hurting your arm and back a little."

"How can I be awake if I'm sleepwalking?" Harry asked, his head turning towards the Headmaster as his blind gaze seemed to nail him where he sat.

"Excuse me?" Dumbledore asked, his own brow furrowing in the slightest. "I fail to understand what you mean, Harry."

"Well, that's a first," the youth muttered to himself. "But I mean what you just said. First it was 'when I was last awake' and then I'm suddenly sleepwalking while 'last awake'. I think it's a bit contradictory, Professor."

Somehow the title that slipped past Harry's lips sounded poisoned, making it sound like he was mocking the man before him with his dull stare and blank face.

"I thought you said you don't remember," Dumbledore said quietly, neutrally.

"I don't," Harry said, returning his head to its original position and staring at the ceiling without seeing it.

*_*_*

Harry felt unimaginably clearheaded.

It all made sense now, and maybe he would thank the Mind Healer that had come to see him after a shitty night during which he hadn't slept well and had been engulfed with his memories.

The man himself had been boring and gone through the same questions over and over again, but it had straightened out his mind, given a frame and priority to his thoughts that he could now feel burning warmly in the pit of his stomach.

The man had tried to make him talk about Sirius. He had asked "how do you feel about that?" when he'd gotten to the section of where exactly Sirius was now. Harry hadn't answered, like he hadn't answered to a single question asked of him in the hours to come as he'd laid on the bed, ordering his thoughts.

Yes, it all made sense now. Very clearly.

He was willing to admit that this was the reality now. Yes, that was correct. But it didn't mean he had to believe in it any more than before. He created a wall between him and everything else, consciously building it around his blind mind that now saw only through his memories.

He needed to get out of here soon. He had things to do.

* * *

You know the drill, ladies and gentlemen! Make this humble author happy with your feedback! ;)


	31. Chapter 31

**A.N/** Yes, I know. My muse just happened to hate me for a while, that little bastard *growls* So he took a hike for a few months and took all of the plot-bunnies around here with him. That sadistic piece of **** Hehe...

This suits as a Christmas-present to you all, though! Thanks for all the reviews you've written me, all the faves, alerts etc. you've put me on!

And there you go, then.

* * *

After the term ended, Ron and Hermione went to see Harry every single day. Either Mr. or Mrs. Weasley Apparated them there, and on some occasions it was even Remus. But it didn't change the fact that they stayed there, beside the youth's bed from morning till night, trying to get him to talk about something or anything while trying to contain their own dread.

Anything Harry said made no sense. And sometimes it felt like the youth wasn't even talking to them but to someone else, someone only he could see with his blind eyes.

It made shivers run through the duo's spine as they walked into Harry's room and found him beside the window, muttering something to himself as he ran his fingers over the cool glass over and over. More often than not Harry was leaning his forehead to the window as well, his eyes blank as he stared into nothingness and held his imaginary conversation with someone. Neither Ron nor Hermione ever heard what exactly the youth was talking about because Harry stopped when he heard the door opening, but it still managed to shock them more deeply they were willing to admit.

The Healers were saying that Harry was making immense progress and that they were very confident he would reach full recovery. That statement was something everyone around him could do nothing but doubt whenever they talked with the youth a bit longer. Harry did sound completely reasonable and answered if he was asked something but his mind and heart never seemed to be with him, only a shell of him left sitting on the edge of the high bed and smiling a smile that made him look sane, sure, but at the same time so very vacant.

No-one wanted to hear neither Ron nor Hermione as they expressed their worries. Supposedly they were just on over alert and sniffing out any abnormalities with heightened radar because of all the things they had been through. It was like everyone else was trying to brush everything under the carpet and forbid it to be mentioned. Like denial would help anyone.

After the Healers had managed to heal the youth's back and arm he was free to go. Hermione and Ron were there with him as the Healer in charge of Harry listed out everything he should remember, giving him a box full of vials that he was supposed to take every day in the exact order they were organized. And Harry smiled brightly and pleasantly, his eyes hidden behind the blindfold he'd tied on his eyes as he sat on the edge of the bed with his fingers tapping against the soft mattress restlessly. It made malaise spread through his friends' veins as they looked at the parody of a healthy person Harry had become, their hands clutching onto each other's tightly as they stood at the back and allowed that scene to unravel before them.

And all the while, there was this little voice at the backs of their heads. It nagged at them as Harry shook hands with the Healer and smiled vacantly. It curled in the bases of their spines in an uncomfortable thrill as the youth put on his jacket, his blindfolded eyes staring somewhere to the floor as he turned the collar and zipped the jacket up. It made their skins crawl as the earring in Harry's ear swung and his fingers rose to it nearly absentmindedly, something racing over his face faster they could catch before his hand had already fallen down and he was going out of the door, leaving the two behind. It made their knees go weak as they went out as well and watched as Remus took Harry's hand lightly, like the man was afraid the youth would shatter like an egg made of porcelain if he was treated too roughly. Then they were gone and the thought was screaming in Hermione and Ron's mind.

That wasn't their friend anymore.

Everyone was a bit apprehensive about how Harry would take it when he was told he would be living at the Grimmauld Place for the rest of the summer.

They had been expecting shouts. Accusations. Tears even. Some sort of an emotion that showed that Harry still cared. What they hadn't been expecting was a quick turn of a blindfolded face over the foyer as Harry had arrived before he'd smiled to himself and went upstairs without another word. They were left there, looking at his distancing back and hand that was lightly placed on the banister. The only thing they heard was the sound of Harry's soft footsteps as the youth made his way to the highest floor and then the nearly inaudible click as a door opened before closing again.

That was all and thus, Harry had returned home.

And then it all began.

The youth started to ignore everyone now that he wasn't in St Mungo's anymore. His temper had shortened tremendously but that didn't mean he yelled at anyone. He just sat there quietly and didn't even have to say a word when everyone could feel the anger emitting from him like a thick, poisonous cloud, freezing the air around him.

He missed meals. Didn't take care of himself. All in a matter of few days and in the end he didn't even come out of his room, ignoring whoever it was that was sent to there to fetch him for dinner or lunch.

Harry didn't know it himself, but he screamed in his sleep. Horrible cries that echoed in the house and seeped into other rooms from the corridors the sounds ran through, stealing away everyone else's sleep. Sometimes he cursed at someone, other's he was clearly pleading, begging for the only person not present anymore not to leave him. It made the other occupants' hearts wring painfully but they knew it wouldn't help if they tried to go and console the youth amidst his nightmares. They had tried and the outcomes hadn't been pretty for anyone. So they stayed where they were, wrapped up in their warm beds and clutching onto that dear person next to them as they listened to Harry's cries. It never occurred to them that the youth might have wanted someone to come to comfort him. They just thought they had no reason to do such a thing, because the few times they had they had been clearly told off and left with the impression that there was only one person Harry wanted to comfort him.

*_*_*

Harry felt like he was suffocating.

Sirius' _presence_ was suffocating him. Sweetly.

Numerous times a day, the youth's fingers homed in on the necklace around his neck. He'd found it from the nightstand-drawer in the hospital, pushed into the furthest corner, and he'd instantly known that Sirius had left it there for him. The second he'd touched it a dizzying sensation had gone through his arm and stabbed his mind, making him crash to the floor. The bare _essence_ of Sirius had clung onto that small piece of jewelry so strongly it had been nearly intoxicating, and just for a few seconds Harry had been able to sense the man there next to him, pressing against his back and wrapping him in a tight embrace that had seeded warmth and sanity into him. He had nearly been able to hear the man's voice back then, whispering things to his ear.

But then the feeling had been gone, just like everything else, and now the necklace vowed no auras of comfort and love. It was just a trinket and nothing more as it hung from his neck.

Sirius stayed at the back of Harry's mind most of the time during the day. But sometimes the man managed to claw his way to the front of the youth's mind and it paralyzed him completely.

It hurt. Images and emotions that weren't his poured into his mind and drowned him in the whirl, making it feel like his head would split in two from the force of it.

Everyone thought he was insane. He knew. But he didn't care.

Harry's fingers curled around the necklace again as he walked down the stairs slowly, every single step reminding him of things he didn't want to see and feel as he went to the kitchen-door. He was just about to push the wood aside when he heard his name mentioned, making his hand halt.

"- the best for him!" the Mrs. Weasley was just saying, and Harry could hear a glass clacking against the table. "Not to be in this house of all places!"

"Harry is most safe here, Molly," Harry could hear _Dumbledore_ of all people saying and it made him frown, hatred flooding into his veins. He hadn't even known the man was here. Not that he even cared in the first place.

Harry's hold on the necklace tightened and he backed slightly, sitting on the stairs leading to the kitchen.

"I don't doubt that, Albus," Mrs. Weasley argued. "But think about the _atmosphere_ in here. For Heaven's sake, think about who it was that _lived_ here with him!"

"I'm aware of that," Dumbledore replied quietly. "But it's the best thing to do. Harry knows his way around here better than in the Burrow. I would hate to tie him down with an escort. At least in here he can walk as he pleases."

"But-" Mrs. Weasley started, then trailing off before patching up an other argument. "But it's just so gloomy in here! And shadowy! Harry needs a _bright_ place to spend his time in!"

"Molly, it doesn't matter what this place looks like," Dumbledore said. "Harry is safe here and I intend to keep it that way. Voldemort doesn't take it well to have thirteen of his followers wiped out just like that. He'll want revenge and I won't hand it to him on a silver platter."

"Are you saying the Burrow isn't safe?" Molly snapped, hurt in her tone.

"No, but Grimmauld Place is safer," Dumbledore replied, and it must've looked like the woman was about to protest because the man continued right on, his voice harsh. "No, Molly, I will not allow Harry to leave this place. It's best for him if he stays here."

"The best," Molly parroted with a shaky voice. "That boy is withering away, Albus! He doesn't do _anything_ without someone breathing on his neck about it! How's that _safe_?!"

"He'll stay alive here, Molly," Dumbledore said.

The youth lifted his free hand to the shirt he was wearing, grasping at the soft fabric and bringing it closer to his face. It smelled of Sirius as he inhaled, engulfing him in the sweet and agonizingly familiar scent. Harry didn't know what the shirt looked like but was sure the man had worn it, just like he was wearing it now. Holding it close gave him the illusion of having Sirius right here beside him, sitting behind him on the stairs and wrapping him in a tight embrace he could allow himself to be engulfed in.

"- to you?!" Molly was just saying, her rising voice catching Harry's attention briefly again. "He's done nothing wrong, Albus!"

"I never implied such a thing, Molly," the old man said. "But the after-effects of what he did-"

"Harry did not kill those Death Eaters!" the woman shrieked, and a clang echoed through the kitchen as she stood up and knocked her chair to the floor. "My Harry isn't a killer!"

Harry's lips twisted down in disgust and he could nearly feel the tightening of Sirius' arms around him, like the man was silently protesting and letting him know who exactly it was he belonged to.

The youth smiled feebly before the illusion faltered and shattered, leaving him alone and cold in the staircase.

"It doesn't matter one way or the other," Dumbledore said coolly. "Whether Harry really killed all those people or not is secondary."

"Harry isn't a murderer," Molly said through gritted teeth.

"In a way he is, Molly," Dumbledore said. "Maybe not directly, but still. Even if Sirius was the one to cast the curse and kill all those people, vicariously it was also Harry doing it."

A silence followed and then wood scraped against stone, a chair creaking as Mrs. Weasley apparently sat back down. "He isn't a killer," the woman nearly growled. Her feigned devotion made Harry feel sick and his hold on the necklace tightened.

"Do you know why the Killing Curse is considered an Unforgivable Curse?" Dumbledore asked.

"Because it kills, of course," Fred said, and judging by the silence that drew over the room like a deep shadow the youth was receiving stern glares. Harry nearly chuckled.

But only nearly.

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "And no," he continued, and the chair under him creaked out its protest at having to support such a person as he bettered his position. "True, it kills. But do you know _how_ it kills?"

Another silence descended. Harry continued to stare into his blackness with Sirius' intoxicating scent still floating around him.

Dumbledore sighed and then began his monologue. "The Killing Curse is not considered taboo only because of its severely destructive nature, but also because of what it does to the one casting it. Magic such as that is highly negative, and a person who is forced to use it should never be allowed to face such a situation in the first place. Not only is it highly taxing to perform the Killing Curse, it also requires a great deal of willpower and pure wish to kill. _Lust_ to kill. Someone who casts the Killing Curse has to _want_ the other person dead from the bottom of their heart, and enjoy doing it as well."

"Then Harry killed no-one," Mrs. Weasley said hastily, still stuck up on her only argument. "He's too sweet for something like that. Really, Dumbledore, you can't even _dream_ of-"

"This isn't a matter of my beliefs, Molly," Dumbledore cut through sharply. "Either Harry or Sirius killed thirteen Death Eaters with a single curse. They might've done it together but it's unlikely."

"Sirius confessed, it was him who did it," Mrs. Weasley said steadily, her conviction shrouding the fears she didn't want to face. "And besides, Harry's too young. He wouldn't even be _able_ to perform such powerful magic, you said so yourself, Albus. And this desire to kill, Harry's never had any of that."

"Sometimes it's horrible to realize how far we are willing to go to save the ones we love," Dumbledore said. Harry's stomach twisted with a sharp pain before wringing itself into a tight knot. "And Harry loved Sirius very dearly."

"Of course he did, even a blind person could've been able to see that," Mrs. Weasley said. "A splendid pair of Godfather and Godson, truly."

Harry realized they were talking about Sirius as if the man was already dead. He didn't want to accept the painful flare that thought sent to every bit of his body, making him curl up slightly and clutch his heart and necklace in his hands again.

"Love can give birth to horrible things," Dumbledore said quietly. "And killing someone to protect someone else… It isn't that hard of a decision to make, in the end. But strong magic such as that always leaves a mark. You cannot just blast away someone's existence and be normal afterwards."

"Harry's not abnormal," Ron barked, making the sick feeling return to the youth's gut. He hated them. "Besides, it was Sirius who killed those people, Harry had nothing to do with it!"

"Harry had everything to do with it, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said quietly. "As I already said, vicariously or not, Harry killed those people. If Sirius did it he borrowed Harry's magic and energy. If Harry did it he borrowed Sirius' magic and energy. That's all there is to it, and it doesn't matter which one of them said the words."

"But of course it m-" Mrs. Weasley tried, but Dumbledore cut through her.

"No, Molly, it does _not_," the old man said, and Harry thought he heard the lightest bits of remorse in his voice. "When someone performs a Killing Curse, they kill themselves as well. Only a little, but the effect is still significant. Magic is nothing but energy, and that energy has to come from somewhere. When the spells are Light- so to speak- there are close to no side-affects. But the more it goes to Dark, the greater the cost will be. The three Unforgivables are so evil that if they are performed frequently enough- with enough menace and actual will to hurt the other person- it poisons the caster's mind. It's like an addicting drug, dripping into their minds and warping them up irrevocably. That is why, when a person turns Dark, they cannot turn back anymore." Dumbledore inhaled deeply and shifted something on the table, a small silence spreading out before the man continued. "Those three curses are the ones the Death Eaters use almost daily. They are poisoned almost daily, pulled deeper into their own insanity. That is what awaits everyone who starts playing with Dark Magic. It is inevitable. When someone kills another person with the Killing Curse, the energy that courses between them is nothing but blackness. Harmful thoughts, desire to hurt and wound. Every bad thing the caster has ever thought or done, it's sent to the other person. That's what kills them, not the magic itself. A human's body can't withstand that much evil."

Dumbledore held a small pause again and it felt like nearly an artistic one before he continued his task of seeding despair once again. "The _caster_ can't withstand that much evil," he said low. "And the higher the number of the people who are getting killed is, the worse it gets. When it's just one, only a small amount of that energy is enough. But as the number goes higher, so do the feelings. The caster will need stronger emotions, more anger and loath, anything negative. In the worst scenario possible, they may end up destroying themselves along the process, because their bodies are filled with so much bad feelings they can't take it. And if they don't die, their mind will change. Maybe not permanently, but it will. And it won't be for the better."

A shocked silence fell. Harry could hear it ringing inside his head even from where he sat. With a sigh he stood up.

He hadn't believed any of that.

Sirius would be just fine, there was nothing wrong with the man.

The youth went to the door again and pushed it aside, entering the thick silence that rushed over him and wrapped him in its suffocating folds as he walked towards the cabinets. His steps hissed against the stones lightly, sounding unnaturally loud in the quietness that followed his every movement.

"I did kill them, y'know," Harry said when he reached the kitchen-counter, hearing as chair-legs scraped the floor. "The Death Eaters," he added, as if the matter needed clarifying as he took a glass and filled it up to the brim. "I killed them. Will you let Sirius out now?"

It was ridiculous and he knew it. No-one would believe him, they just thought he was trying to be noble and save his 'poor godfather' from a fate he had suffered once before. And he didn't have to get disappointed.

It didn't take even ten seconds before a choir of loud voices burst out, all protesting and slamming their hands to the table. Somehow it felt funny to Harry and he smiled into his glass, a rueful smile that didn't reach his blind eyes. It had been worth a shot, anyway.

"Harry, that isn't something you should joke about," Mrs. Weasley reprimanded and the youth suddenly got the tantalizing desire to whirl around and throw the glass full of water at her round face.

"I'm not joking about anything," Harry said quietly, sipping from his glass and never feeling as the cool liquid made its way down his throat. He poured the rest of the water down the drain before returning the glass to its original place. "I killed them," the youth murmured, his fingers grasping at the edge of the sink. "Believe me, I know." And then he chuckled briefly, not shocked to hear such a cold voice erupting from his own lips.

"Harry, that isn't funny," Hermione said stiffly. "I know you-"

"You don't know anything, Hermione," Harry snarled, turning around and sweeping his fingers past the wall as he headed towards the door again. "None of you, you know fucking nothing," he murmured and then he was out, climbing up the stairs and going into Sirius' room again. "They don't know anything," Harry whispered as he slumped to the bed and buried his face into the pillows, feeling the painful squeeze around his heart again.

He forced himself not to think about anything and hoped he could sleep without the nightmares.

*_*_*

One day Harry crashed down in the middle of the corridor. Just like that, without any warning. First he was walking towards the livingroom with Ron and Hermione right behind him and then he had already fallen on his knees on the floor, clutching onto his temples as he screamed. His upper body hunched forth as he pressed the sides of his head and screamed at what he saw or felt, frightening anyone and everyone around him as he swayed forth.

Ron and Hermione were there immediately, kneeling beside the youth and trying to pry his hands off before he did some damage while trying to calm him down. But Harry wouldn't listen to them and nearly fisted his hair as he nearly lowered his forehead to the floor, his hands sliding to cover his head.

"No," he said, sounding like he was chocking as he swayed slightly. "No!"

Ron and Hermione exchanged a worried glance over the youth's head before doubling their efforts to calm him down, rubbing soothing circles to his back as they tried to get him talking. Mrs. Weasley joined in and took the youth in her tight embrace, his head nearly disappearing into her large front as the woman caressed his hair.

"Now, now, Harry, it's quite alright," Mrs. Weasley muttered as she gently rocked them back and forth. "There's nothing to be afraid of, there's no-one here to harm you."

"No," Harry gasped and then he'd already broken away from the woman's hold and was staggering back, his hands still on his face. "Fuck off you hag, mind your own business," he breathed, backing all the way to the wall and leaning to it heavily as he hunched forth again. His head twitched before he sank to his knees with a groan again, his eyes squeezing shut. His arms shielded his head as he whimpered softly, shaking his head.

Mrs. Weasley went to the youth again but she was pushed away and then Harry had a hand over his forehead and temple, an even more vacant look in his staring eyes than usual. And as they watched without knowing what to do he cried blood, the redness pouring down his cheeks. Blood trailed down from under his hair and then he was whispering something, mumbling to himself words no-one ever caught before it looked like someone cut off his strings and he slumped down where he sat, swaying forth before he was grabbed.

Blood was coming from Harry's ears and nose when he was turned around but it was painfully clear he was unconscious. He was moved into his room in frenzy but he didn't respond to anything, staying like that for hours and just staring at the ceiling as his fingers grasped at the sheets he didn't feel.

*_*_*

More of these 'seizures'- as Mrs. Weasley so aptly put it- started to occur more and more frequently as the days passed. And with each passing fit Harry seemed to lose a bit more of his sanity.

Hermione and Ron could see and hear it when they talked with the youth after one of his 'attacks'.

It was like before. Harry was there with them- sitting on the couch before them- but he wasn't really there. His bright eyes were only a dull memory in the past as he stared at the ceiling, the fire reflecting from them like they were glass.

"Siri's here," Harry said suddenly, a ghost of a smile appearing on his face before it died out and he frowned, his hand rising to his temple. "He's not here," he muttered to the ceiling, rubbing his skin with the tips of his fingers while looking distraught. "He said he'd be here," the youth continued, but then his frown deepened. "When did he say that?"

Hermione and Ron shared a swallow and a glance before their hold on each other's hand tightened, their eyes getting fixated on the person slouching on the sofa again.

"How are you, Harry?" Hermione asked, trying to keep her voice steady when the youth didn't even pay attention to her, his fingers running over the cushions as he continued to look up.

"We ate strawberries," Harry said, a smile rippling on his otherwise emotionless face as he drew a leg up against his chest and rested his arm on the backrest. "Me and Sirius," he continued, like it somehow needed clarifying.

The man was the only thing he talked about anymore.

"Well, that's nice, isn't it?" Hermione replied, swallowing repeatedly as she felt the lump in her throat before she was able to continue again. "But how are you feeling?"

"Paddy's pretty," Harry said nearly dreamily, the absentminded smile on his face now as he drummed with his fingers lightly and his head tilted to the side. "Soft."

Hermione swallowed again and her head dangled as she bit back her tears, her hold on Ron's hand tightening as the door opened. Remus glanced inside and when he saw them he jerked his head towards the corridor, his eyes falling onto Harry as the two teens rose.

"Can you manage by yourself for a sec, mate?" Ron asked from Harry, tugging at the collar of his shirt like he was suffocating as he looked at the youth's face.

"Sure," Harry replied before sliding to the side and placing his head on the armrest as he lifted his legs to the cushions as well. "I'm just fine," he said absentmindedly, his fingers rising to his temple again to rub it.

Ron's hand jolted against Hermione's and he barely managed to answer to that before they were already going out of the room and the tears spilled to the girl's cheeks, sobs ravishing her body as they made their way towards the kitchen. She lifted a hand to cover her mouth as they stepped inside, not even registering the people present as her legs nearly gave out and Ron had to support her as he guided the girl to the first chair he saw and she slumped down. The youth wrapped an arm around the quivering shoulders and pulled Hermione closer as she cried, trying to be comforting when all he wanted to do was cry himself.

"He's insane," Ron breathed into the thick brownness before his mouth, his hold on Hermione tightening as her sobs intensified.

Remus sat down heavily as well before leaning his forehead to his palm, blocking the view of the room and it's occupants from his sight as he sighed. "He's not," he said, but he heard the plea in his voice just as well as anyone else in the room.

"He-" Mr. Weasley started before sighing as well and taking his glasses off, cleaning them with the corner of his robe. "How is he?" he asked as he placed the spectacles back on his nose and looked at the broken man before him.

Everyone else but Harry from the inhabitants in Grimmauld Place was there, sitting around the kitchen-table with their eyes fixated upon the werewolf.

"Not- Not good," Remus said heavily, his hand clutching onto his head. Hermione's sobs strengthened next to him and it made his heart ache as they started one more talk concerning the one that laid on the sofa in the livingroom and stared into the flames with that frighteningly vacant look in his eyes.

*_*_*

Harry's mind was shattering apart and everyone was forced to witness it happen.

The days dragged on with their unstoppable, dulling force, crushing everything under them as they slowly formed into a week. The sudden 'attacks' Harry got became even more and more frequent, so that in the end it wasn't uncommon for him to crash over five times a day. And what made it horrible was that everyone was starting to get used to it, it was just something that came along with the package as they tried to calm Harry down and muffle his screams and wipe off the blood that trailed down from his ears and nose. They became used to the noises at night, up to the point where they didn't even wake up to them anymore. It became something usual that having a conversation with Harry didn't make any sense.

Everyone refused to see Harry as he really was. They told themselves and others that the youth would be just fine, yes, he was just going through something right now but would get better than ever tomorrow. Next week. Next year. Never.

They refused to see his skeleton-like frame. His emaciated body that carried shirts that no-one noticed weren't his. His dull eyes that were obscured by a blindfold to hide the blackness around them.

They refused to see the obvious signs of addiction as Harry drank Energy Potion to keep himself up despite the fatigue that tore his body. They blocked away the sight of his slightly shaking hands, brushing it off with a severer seizure than usual.

No-one was interested in what _caused_ the seizures because Dumbledore had said that the connection between Harry and Sirius had been cut, and thus there was no danger in that direction at all. No-one cared, they just wanted Harry to get better and move on with his life so that they could stop looking at him falling apart.

Once, they dragged the youth to the living room because there was something they wanted to tell him. He was to know that there was a way for him to read, kind of, without his sight. But as everyone had assured, it would make his life a bit better, so he should just be a good boy and memorize all the spells he needed in order to make it work.

But he didn't want to make it work. He had other things to do.

McGonagall was there to explain to him how it worked. Sentence after sentence, difficult words that Harry was too tired to understand as he was guided and directed down the road he didn't want to walk. It was absurd that they were planning his future and upcoming life in Hogwarts when things were like this.

But he didn't complain, because the hours and hours he spent in the library practicing the spell finally opened the last lock in the door he had been banging inside his mind ever since he had come here.

And it all clicked together so beautifully that it made him smile. He was ready now.

*_*_*

Harry lay in Sirius' bed and let his hands run over the silky sheets, deep in thought. It all made sense now, clearly. It was all organized inside his mind, neatly and efficiently. Everything would get better now, yes.

A smile spread to Harry's face and he turned his hand so that he could run it over Sei's body, awakening the snake from his slumber as he dragged himself up into a sitting position. His trunk was somewhere in the house as well but he had lost his interest in it a long time ago.

*_Sei_?* Harry said, his hand rising to straighten his blindfold as he waited for the animal's reply. It came fairly quickly, only a small sound in the silence before the oppressing quietness returned. *_I need to go_,* he stated.

*_Hmm? Where to?* _Sei asked.

Harry swallowed but didn't answer. And as he slid off the bed, his legs nearly gave out. Gasping for air he took support of the mattress, swallowing repeatedly in his cursed darkness as he waited for the dizziness to pass as Sei's worried voice rang in his ears. Panting, he stumbled towards the nightstand and grabbed the vial there, opening it with shaky fingers. He fell onto his knees before he managed to down the entire potion and gasped again, cursing under his breath as the fatigue and nausea crashed over him.

Harry's hands shook as squeezed his useless eyes shut, shakily returning the small piece of glass back to the table as he waited. His lungs heaved in a heavy breath after the other and still there wasn't enough air, making him clutch his chest before the effect finally gave its blissful release and the youth felt alright again. He inhaled deeply and leaned his head to his hands, waiting for his heart to start beating strongly again before gingerly standing up. A small attack of dizziness coursed through him but he stifled it, turning around.

He went to the wardrobe with wobbly legs, his fingers sliding over the wood before he opened the doors and looked at his darkness. The youth reached inside and let his hand slide along the silky fabrics hanging from the racks, hearing as Sei shifted on the bed.

*_What're you doing?_* the snake asked as Harry pulled the smoothness out of the wardrobe and turned around to toss it to the bed, calling for Kreacher as he walked towards the mattress. The house-elf appeared with a loud crack and even though Harry didn't see it, he knew it was bowing.

"You summoned Kreacher, Master Harry?" Kreacher asked as the youth kneeled beside the bed to run his hands along the light fabric. "Master Harry?" the house-elf repeated as Harry didn't answer. "Does Master Harry want Kreacher to do something?" it inquired.

"Yes," Harry said, his head turning towards the house-elf. "Is this black?" he asked, pointing to the mattress and to the robes lying on it.

"Yes," Kreacher said, its bemusement clear. "They are Master Sirius' finest dress-robes, Master Harry. May Kreacher be so bold as to ask what Master Harry is doing with them?"

"Help me put them on," Harry said, standing up. He pulled the shirt over his head and let it fall to the floor, his head turning towards Kreacher again when he didn't hear the house-elf moving. "Kreacher?" he asked.

"Yes, at once, Master Harry," Kreacher said hurriedly and then the youth felt a fleeting touch at his thigh, making him jerk slightly. "Kreacher thinks it will go the most fluently if Master Harry allows Kreacher to use its magic," the house-elf said. "Then, Master Harry won't have to tie all the laces and such."

"Okay, whatever," Harry said, shrugging his pants off. "Just be quick," he added as he stood there and stared into the darkness. The youth heard a soft snap of fingers and then layers of clothing started to slide along his skin and drape themselves around him as his mind swept over his plan again.

It was a good plan, he commented himself of it.

"Is Master Harry going somewhere?" Kreacher asked as the final piece of clothing was on Harry, snapping its fingers again to shrink the robes so that they were snug instead of hanging from his thin shoulders.

"How do I look?" Harry asked as he slid a hand through his hair, getting accustomed to the small weight of the robes on him.

"Very- Very good, Master Harry," Kreacher said. "But-"

"Are you lying?" Harry asked, his fingers tugging open the knot at the back of his head so that the blindfold covering his eyes slid off. He turned to place it on the nightstand, his hand searching before finding the smooth wood and placing the fabric to it. The youth grabbed the sunglasses he knew to be there on the nightstand as well and put them on, trying to get rid of the familiarity in that movement.

"Of course not, Master Harry," Kreacher said, and it sounded hurt just enough for the youth to believe it and smile slightly.

"Are you busy?" Harry asked.

"No, Master Harry."

"Then, do you want to come with me?" Harry asked as he headed towards the door. "I could use the guidance," he chuckled bitterly as he turned the handle.

"Of course, Master Harry," Kreacher said, running next to Harry to slip its tiny hand to the cold and immobile hold of the youth.

They went downstairs and into the kitchen. And with every step Harry felt a bit lighter.

He ignored the cease the conversation made as they stepped in.

The quietness hang in the air for the few seconds it took for the youth to walk next to the fireplace, only to burst out like a screech of high birds as he took floo-powder into his free hand.

"Harry! Where are you going?" Hermione questioned with nearly a scream as the youth scattered the powder into the flames and listened to the hum they let out.

Harry didn't answer but only stepped into the fire, feeling as Kreacher followed. "Ministry for Magic," he nearly whispered, but clearly. He heard some shouts from behind him before the swirl took over and they were swept away.

Traveling by flooing was worse than Harry had ever imagined it to be. He hadn't liked it before, and he'd been able to see then. Now all he could do was squeeze Kreacher's hand tightly in his own and wish for it all to end, swallowing repeatedly to keep the little he ate anymore inside his stomach.

Then the house-elf's fingers jerked against his and the swirl slowed down, giving him the tenth of a second to react before he was spat out and he dived straight into a mass of noises and disturbing sounds.

Heels clacked against stone floor, people conversed, a woman screamed. And on top of it all a fountain was splattering its water down, the high-pitched voice getting drowned by the mass of people all around Harry continuously, only to fight its way over it once more.

For a moment Harry just stood there, stupefied by all he was hearing after the eerie silence he had been forced to endure. Then something connected with his back heavily, making him stumble forth a step or two, and he heard someone cursing behind him.

"Bloody hell, can't you look where-"

The man behind Harry stopped like he'd hit a wall when the youth turned around to look at him with is sunglasses-covered eyes. He could feel the jerk Kreacher's hand made in his again and he squeezed it lightly, telling the house-elf he was okay.

"Sorry, I didn't see you," Harry said, and some other time a cruel joke such as that might've made him feel something else than the dullness that was spreading into his veins. Before the man had the chance to say anything else the youth turned towards Kreacher, offering it a tiny smile. "The elevators, please?"

There was a light tug on Harry's hand and then he was being pulled through the noise and hassle. A nauseating sense of insecurity crashed forth and welled inside him as he walked forth, wrapping him inside the voices coming from all around him without him being able to identify or locate even one of them. It felt like he was walking on a thin line that could vanish at any given moment and plunge him into the awaiting blackness, laughing as he fell.

Harry tightened his hold on Kreacher's hand and felt the answering squeeze before the house-elf halted, the chaos around them intensifying. Suddenly the youth felt naked as he stood there, amidst the darkness but surrounded by people who could see him and recognize him. And the longer they stood there, waiting for an elevator to clang and tinkle into sight, the more he became paranoid, thinking that everyone was staring at him and whispering about him and gossiping about him. His stomach turned into lead before disappearing and getting replaced by snakes, nausea whirling over him and taking him with it as he stood alone in his darkness.

Kreacher tugged at the youth's hand again as an elevator clacked before them, gently pulling him along and into the car. No-one else came in with them and Harry was glad about that.

"Is Master Harry alright?" the house-elf asked as the elevator started to climb towards the higher floors, an emotionless voice announcing the number and divisions before the car continued up again.

"I'm fine enough, Kreacher," Harry said, a small whisper it was, and he could do nothing about it as the words slipped past his lips. He knew he sounded like an animal that was slowly getting strangled but he knew he deserved it. "I won't be better than this anyway."

The house-elf squeezed the youth's hand again and then they were in the right floor, stepping out onto the soft rug that muffled the noises of the few people on the corridor with them.

"Where are we going, Master Harry?" Kreacher asked with a hushed tone, like the house-elf was part of a conspiracy Harry had founded without even realizing.

"The office of the Head of this Department," Harry replied, the suffocating feeling escalating and digging its claws to his chest as the house-elf let out a small noise of understanding and started to guide him down the hallway.

Harry was so tired of people. It was a feeling that had slithered into the back of his mind when he had first woken up, only to get drowned and buried under everything else before he had been released again. Being in that house, sleeping in that bed, walking in those corridors and eating in that kitchen had brought it back again.

The memories had been suffocating him with their weight, poisoning him with their happiness as he'd been forced to witness everything that the rooms brought into his mind. He couldn't see them anymore, he couldn't witness the gloomy beauty in that house, but he remembered. And even if it was getting hazy and blurry around the edges, he still recalled.

Every memory of a touch he had shared with Sirius had burned his whole body in a way it shouldn't have. Every look, every laugh, had been printed onto the merciless archives inside his head, only waiting for him to stop for a second and hear a comment that reminded him of the man, to hear a noise that reminded him of the bark of a dog.

And then he would remember every single bad thing, like his mind had only been waiting for him to smile a bit, to feel a small gush of warmth somewhere deep inside him. The sceneries from the Department of Mysteries flashed back into his mind with aching accuracy, making him remember. He could always feel and see, and that was the only place the dull blade of time hadn't touched yet. The memories were fresh and sharp in their pain.

He remembered what Sirius had looked like, how the man's body had been so warm as it had pressed him against the shelves and he'd whispered things to his ear. Sirius' voice had been so soft, his breath hot as it had passed his ear. And each time he remembered this, he remembered the rest. It was like a brutal cycle of events his mind tortured him with, making him see everything in his mind's eye.

The sheets in Sirius' bed still smelled strongly of him, but sometimes Harry thought he could smell himself from them as well. It was an odd feeling. It made him wonder if Sirius had changed the sheets at all after the ending of the lessons they'd had. Somehow it had made warmth bloom from the pit of his stomach as he'd thought about the man, lying in the bed and closing his eyes and imagining that he- Harry- was there with him.

But now the bed was vast and empty, and the man's dizzying scent was slowly getting erased. But Harry told himself he shouldn't care as he pushed the door into the office open. He told himself it made no difference anymore, because he wouldn't be returning there. And thinking about that made this somehow final, a small wave of strength coursing through him as his fingers swept past the necklace he'd kept on.

"Who are you?"

Harry turned his head towards the voice, his brow furrowing slightly. The last time he'd been here Amelia Bones hadn't had any secretaries, it had been just her behind her desk on the other side of the cozy office.

"Harry Potter," the youth replied, brushing some of the hair on his forehead aside. "I want to talk with Amelia Bones."

"I'm afraid you're a bit late for that," a man's voice said from somewhere in front of the youth, making him turn his head towards it. The one who had spoken apparently took his silence as a questioning one for he continued rather quickly, his voice coming towards Harry. "Amelia Bones was killed a few weeks ago, along with her family. I'm the new Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Pius Thicknesse. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Potter."

Harry felt his determination crumble in the slightest. "Oh," was all he managed to produce before his hand rose to the necklace again, the remains of his energy getting drawn from the deepest wells in his mind and body. "I want to talk with you," he said quietly.

"Of course, Mr. Potter," the other man said. "Maybe we could move this to my office? It's more comfortable there."

Harry nodded slowly and felt the small tug Kreacher made before he was pulled into an other room.

A door clicked shut at their wake and the youth walked forth blindly, feeling as the house-elf pulled back on his hand before placing it on the back of a chair. Harry ran his fingers along the wood, mapping its outlines before rounding the piece of furniture and gingerly sitting down. He immediately felt Kreacher's hand on his knee and he placed his own on top of it, squeezing it lightly.

"Well, Mr. Potter," Thicknesse said, and Harry could hear as he sat down as well. "I must say it's an honor to meet you. Of course, I know what happened a few weeks back."

Harry didn't answer to that. Somehow he got the impression he should've. But he didn't.

"So, what was it you wanted to discuss with me?" Thicknesse asked, his chair creaking. "I hear you are still in the middle of recovery…"

Harry had to swallow a few times to find his voice, his fingers tightening their hold on Kreacher's. "It's- It's about Sirius Black," the youth ground out, his hand tightening around the house-elf's even more as he tried to dull out all the emotions that name brought to the surface. His head spun lightly and he pursed his lips tightly shut, trying to clear his mind. It was desperately important that he stayed sane now.

"Ah, Mr. Black," the man said, and Harry's insides squirmed at Thicknesse's tone. "What about him, Mr. Potter?"

"I want you to free him," Harry said bluntly. He felt the twitch Kreacher's fingers made and he swallowed again before forcing his throat to function, letting out the words he wanted to say. "He's innocent. He killed no-one."

A silence followed his words, hanging oppressively between them and nearly screaming in Harry's ears as the seconds stretched on. He could feel his palms sweating slightly and his heart thumped painfully against his ribs, making his chest hurt and his throat squeeze shut.

"I see," Thicknesse said finally, and the youth didn't like what he sounded like. He didn't like it at all. It sounded like the man was laughing to himself because of a joke he had heard but wasn't going to tell Harry about. It sounded like this Thicknesse was sneering at Harry with those two words. "Do you have any proof of that, Mr. Potter?"

Harry swallowed again, his fingers tangling with the airy smoothness of the robes on him. Sirius' robes. Something the man had maybe worn at some point f his life. Maybe he'd worn them when he'd been best man at Harry's parents' weddings. It made the youth's heart sink with the weight landing on it. He had caused it all… If it wasn't for him, Lily and James would still be alive and Sirius wouldn't be in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit for the second time in his life.

"Mr. Potter?" the man asked, the chair screaming as he bettered his position. "Did you hear my question?"

"I- I heard it," Harry answered, hearing as the words came out breathlessly and with no strength in them. He wondered if the man before him was openly grinning at him now.

"Do you have any proof, then?" Thicknesse asked, and suddenly the youth could hear the grin in there.

"I killed them," the youth whispered, his heart thudding painfully against his ribs again before it blissfully disappeared into nothingness and left him alone. "Sirius didn't kill them, I did. Do you need more proof?"

"Mr. Potter, you cannot expect me to believe you just from that," the man said, and as hard as Harry tried he heard no hints of apology in that even voice. "That would be unethical, not to mention a bit silly as well."

"You believed Sirius," the youth said silently. "He told you he killed those thirteen people and you believed him just like that, with no testimonies or interrogations."

"We had several witnesses backing up his story," Thicknesse said. "There was no reason to doubt the authenticity of it."

"Then you shouldn't be doubting my story either," Harry said. "I was there just as well, I _know_ what happened."

"Which was, Mr. Potter?" Thicknesse asked, the chair creaking as he bettered his position again.

"I killed those thirteen Death Eaters," Harry said evenly and with every bit of conviction he had left. "I cast the Killing Curse and wiped them out, Sirius had nothing to do with it."

"Funny, that's exactly what Mr. Black told as well," Thicknesse said, and he sounded coldly humored.

"He lied," Harry said, looking at where he thought the man was sitting. "He lied to protect me."

"And now you're returning the favor?" Thicknesse asked, and the youth could hear the slight sarcasm in the man's voice. "Do you feel you're somehow indebted to Mr. Black for saving your life and think this is a good way to repay him? Mr. Potter, if- and I'm really saying _if_- I believed you, then it would mean _you_ would go back into Azkaban. As I know you have been there before, I fail to understand the logic behind your actions."

"I want Sirius out of there," Harry said, desperate to get the man to understand. "He shouldn't be there! He did nothing to be back there! It should be me in there, not him!"

"How noble," Thicknesse said, and now Harry could hear the grin and sarcasm in his voice extremely clearly. "So you would sacrifice yourself for your Godfather? Truly, noble. But superfluous, Mr. Potter. _Too_ superfluous. Mr. Black has already been convicted and sentenced. He will stay in Azkaban for the rest of his life."

"I'm telling you, it was me!" Harry nearly yelled, jumping up and slamming his hand against the table. "I killed those people, not Sirius! He just took the blame for me!"

"And why would he do that, Mr. Potter?" Thicknesse asked with a slightly chilly voice. "Why would a man who knows what it is like inside those walls _willingly_ take the blame for something they didn't do? Do excuse me, that goes a bit past my comprehension here."

_You fucking imbecile._

But Harry couldn't say what he wanted, he couldn't say the reason. And it made his cheeks burn as he bit back the lump and unshed tears that suddenly burned his eyes, his fists clenching. "Because…" he said feebly, his voice shaking slightly. His mind was screaming at him.

"Because what, Mr. Potter?" Thicknesse asked him and at that moment the youth knew he had never had a chance in the first place. "Because you're his Godson?" the man chuckled coldly. "That doesn't sound like a good reason to me."

Harry swallowed again. His mind screamed at him. He swallowed and his fists clenched even further.

Oh, he understood now. How stupid of him, of course it had gone like that. He had just been a bit too naïve here, that's all. But it didn't matter, his plans didn't stop here.

"Did Dumbledore come to see you?" Harry asked with a low voice, not really surprised to hear the icy edge in it. "Of course, it makes sense. I wouldn't be surprised if he got himself a lapdog at the Ministry."

"Mr. Potter-" Thicknesse started, sounding slightly disgruntled.

"Just forget it," Harry said, pushing himself up. "I don't even know what I was thinking, assuming that _anyone_ from the Ministry could help me."

"Mr. Potter-" the man tried again but Harry had already turned around and offered his hand to the house-elf.

"Let's go," Harry said to Kreacher, mouthing their destination but not saying it out loud because he didn't want that lapdog to know it. He felt a light squeeze on his hand and then they were swept away, Kreacher's magic transporting them through the country.

Icy wind and water sprayed on Harry's face when his feet touched the ground again, his head tilting up as he inhaled the salty sea-air. "Is there somewhere we need to check in?" he asked from the freezing breeze.

"There is a building near us, Master Harry," Kreacher said, holding onto the youth's hand tightly. "Kreacher assumes Master Harry must go there if he wishes to cross."

"Can you take me there?" Harry asked, turning his head towards the house-elf.

"Of course, Master Harry," Kreacher said and then pulled the youth along gently, leading the way towards their destination slowly. They stopped after a few minute's walk and Harry raised his hand, sliding it along the door in front of them before pushing it open. He stepped inside and there was immediately a voice greeting him.

"Evening," someone said from a few feet away. The door clicked shut at Harry's wake.

"I want to go across," the youth said into the darkness, disregarding the etiquette completely. He prohibited himself from feeling anything as a chair was dragged across wood and someone stood up, heavy steps echoing around him as someone walked closer.

"What business would you have there?" a voice asked, and Harry was slightly startled to hear it from right in front of him. The wind moaned in the corners of the room.

"My business is my own," the youth replied. "Can you take me across or not?"

"It's gonna cost you," the voice before Harry said.

"The boat-trip is not supposed to cost anything," Kreacher said from Harry's side, its hand tightening its hold on the youth's.

"The rules might change," the voice said, and Harry could hear that whoever was standing before him was grinning.

"I don't care," he said silently. "I'll pay. Now take me across."

"Do you understand what you're doing, boy?" another voice asked from the corner of the room. "That isn't the best of places for a blind person to be in, y'know."

"That's my own business," Harry said. "I want to go across."

"Alright, alright," the first voice said and then someone rounded the youth, a salty scent floating to his nose. "But you're on your own in there, understood? The human-guards don't care what happens to the visitors because they're so terrified themselves. I could say you can use magic in there but by the looks of it it's going to take a few more years before that'll be legal for you."

Chuckling to himself, the man opened the door Harry had come through and disappeared outside. The youth dug his pocket and let the small pouch full of gold fall to the floorboards before Kreacher pulled him out into the tearing wind again, guiding him to the small boat he could hear clacking against the rocks. He stepped in gingerly and felt freezing water spraying over him as they rocked there before the boat swayed a bit more and a voice grunted before him, barely audibly.

"Here we go," a man said and then tapped the side of the boat, making it shoot across the waters. The wind lashed Harry's face and made him pull the robes tighter around himself as he shivered.

It felt like the boat-journey lasted for a long while, nothing else than moaning wind whirling all around him and taking a hold of his clothes that were getting wetter and wetter because of the sprays that hit over the edge of the vessel. Harry's finger's got numb and he shivered harshly, goosebumps running down his spine as a gush of wind caressed his neck like icy fingers.

The boat came to a sudden halt and screeched nearly inaudibly against the rocks in the shore, tossing Harry forth. Kreacher managed to keep him in a sitting position before he steadied himself and placed his hand on the edge of the boat, the cool wood feeling wet and slicky under his palm as he slowly stood up and climbed off with the house-elf's aid. Gravel scrunching under his shoes as they walked a few feet away from the boat, the wind feeling even more vicious than before and tearing at his hair and robes.

"If you come back here lacking something important, it won't be my fault," the ferryman chuckled darkly, the rocks protesting loudly as the man pulled the boat higher on the shore.

"So you'll wait?" Harry asked, his hold on the collar of his robes tightening as a freezing gush of wind tried to tear them off his hand. He could feel Kreacher pressing it's body against his leg, tiny hands wrapped around the smooth fabric so that the house-elf wasn't thrown off-balance by the tearing wind.

"Well, I can't see any other way for you to get back to the other side," the man noted. "Unless you came here to stay," he chuckled, and Harry just grinned to himself.

"We'll have to see about that," the youth said as he slid a hand to Kreacher's head and tapped it, feeling as the house-elf slowly peeled itself off his leg. His hand was taken into a gentle hold before he was guided to turn and they started to climb up a winding path, the stones crunching at their feet and the wind clawing at them during their journey. The insecurity returned the longer they walked, making the pit of Harry's stomach curl before he forced himself to ignore it. The wind came unexpectedly and threw him slightly off balance until Kreacher's supporting hand was the only thing preventing him from falling to his knees.

Harry thanked the house-elf and then they stopped. He was slightly surprised to hear a voice greeting him, though the words were lost by the wind. Once again he was completely at the mercy of Kreacher's tiny hand in his own as they were guided in and through the empty corridors that threw their steps right back at them, magnified horribly. Water-drops dripped down and it reminded Harry of a dungeon. He shivered and then they were there.

"Who are you visiting?" his escort asked, his voice small and shivering amidst the unnatural silence.

"Sirius Black," Harry said evenly, hearing his own voice bouncing from the stones around them and screaming back at him.

"Go there. Wait. He'll be brought to you," the man said. "No touching is allowed and you can't cross the line to his side of the room, understood?"

Harry nodded slowly. He wasn't really listening. There was a familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach again.

"He's insane," the man said suddenly, startling the youth. He'd thought they were alone already. "I just thought you should know. It's for your own good not to go to his side of the room. Dementors aren't allowed in and we can't see what's going on either. It sucks but if you keep to your side of the room you'll be fine. Okay?"

"Okay," Harry said absentmindedly. Then he was finally allowed to go into the room and the door clicked shut at his wake.

Kreacher guided the youth into a chair and placed its hand on Harry's knee again as they waited. It tried to say something but Harry didn't listen. All he could think of was the sweet buzz spreading into his head, making it feel slightly dizzy. He could tell there was a smile on his face and why wouldn't there be? He could feel Sirius now. It was like a tingle shooting down his spine and making his fingers twitch, his heart picking up its pace and making it thump against his Adam's apple.

The door opened and coldness spread to Harry's feet. He could hear hurried steps that echoed in the empty room, something heavy dragged across the floor before the steps retreated again and the door banged shut.

The following silence rang in Harry's ears and he swallowed, his hand clutching onto Kreacher's cold one as his stomach threw a painful somersault. The buzz echoing in the youth's head hindered his thinking but it felt so sweet, his smile widening slightly.

Harry stood up slowly, his heart nearly tearing itself out of his chest as a sudden and totally uncalled for feeling of dread came into his mind. He swallowed harshly and then the buzz intensified even more, drowning everything else. It transformed into a nearly compelling need just behind his forehead, making it feel tight.

Harry exhaled lightly and placed his fingers on the table, barely even registering the coldness that was pressing against his skin as he slowly rounded the table. His steps echoed in the empty silence, his robes rustling quietly until it sounded like there were a dozen people there instead of three.

Then, the youth was on the other side. The feeling in his head intensified even further until it was getting hard for him to breath, his heart racing in his chest as an attack of dizziness flooded over him. Harry closed his eyes tightly and his head tilted forth slightly, his throat twitching as he forced the breath in.

The dizziness didn't diminish but he still reached out with his hands, and he could tell they were shaking. His legs nearly gave out as he felt hair sweeping against his fingers and a tingle shot up his arms. The youth took a step closer before his legs truly gave out and he slumped before the other chair, his hands still in the hair he recognized and remembered.

His head reeled as his fingers grasped at the thickness before sliding over a downcast face, mapping it out from the darkness. He could feel dirt, the hardness of a cheekbone, something slicky, the softness of an eyebrow. Harry nearly sobbed as he placed his hands to the sides of the man's head, his mind in chaos because of the familiarity in it. His thumbs swept past dry lips and he could feel them twitch before the head moved, slowly straightening.

"Sirius?" Harry whispered with a strangled moan. He tore his hand away from the man's hair long enough to get rid of his glasses, the small clack they made as they fell to the floor something the youth didn't register as he returned his fingers into Sirius' hair. He was feeling nearly nauseous now, his hands shaking against the sides of the man's head as he pressed their foreheads together before seeking out the dry lips.

He thought he heard Sirius sighing as they kissed before fingers grasped at his robes, pulling him closer.

"Go away," the man breathed against Harry's lips, making a searing pain shoot up the youth's spine. But still he just shook his head and took a stronger hold, his arms wrapping around the man's shoulders.

"I won't," the youth breathed in return, feeling like he was intoxicated at the feeling of Sirius' body against his. "I'm getting you out of here."

* * *

**A.N/** Woo! A cliffy! (?) Or is it?

Merry Christmas to you all! Get good toys as presents so that you can use them on your partner as you please!

(and if you're supporting homicidal urges in any form, my muse just signed up as a volunteer to be killed off. (Sorry hun, that's just what happens to sadistic darlings like you) *chuckle*)


	32. Chapter 32

**A.N/ **I know, I know! It's been a while! The muse, blame the frigging muse! (Although, the fact that I moved a few weeks back might have something to do with my creativity taking a hike as well xP) But here's a new chapter for you! I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

It swirled.

It all just swirled, over and over inside his head. It was making him nauseous but he forced himself to accept it, to endure, to ignore it altogether.

He could feel he was forcing his body to function when all it wanted to do was shut down. His mind, it commanded his heart to keep on beating, to ignore the all-consuming pain tearing at his chest. He told his lungs to draw in those despicable breaths when all they wanted to do was to wrap around themselves and weep.

His body. Aching. On fire.

Every movement hurt more than a Cruciatus-curse ever would. Every twitch, and he wanted to do nothing but scream. Every single maneuver, and he was nearly wailing.

Every single word he heard tore his ears, clawing open his mind and revealing it to the harsh daylight.

Every single touch just made him curse and blindly swing at whoever it was.

Every single sweep of those silky sheets against his skin and he was moaning in pain, trying to escape the feeling.

He thought he could feel hands on his upper arms, apprehending him and shoving him back into the nest of anguish. He fought against the hold, his head swirling nauseatingly with every toss it made.

He thought he heard words, commands nearly snarled at him, curses directed at him as he struggled. The pain clawed at his insides and tore open his lungs, he couldn't breathe anymore because his throat knit itself shut and something surged up.

He didn't understand it with his hazy mind, getting turned to his side. He barely felt the hand rubbing his back, something said to him from above.

He didn't understand.

The pain tore his head; he thought he'd perish soon because of it.

The sheets got wrinkled under his hands as he grasped at them, gritting his teeth to keep the moans in. The nausea and dizziness whirled over him and he didn't know if it was a relief or not as he was pushed down into the screaming darkness again.

*_*_*

They were watching him.

He knew they were, he could tell; he could see their blurry faces against the moonlight as they sat there, on the edge of his bed, before the darkness came again, laughing maliciously this time, and he slipped back into unconsciousness.

Someone woke him up and forced him to drink something. He was too tired to open his eyes so he just drank blindly before falling back in again, the heaviness inside his mind sweeping him along.

And it all swirled, making him feel nauseous.

At some point, he fought his eyes open to see a room he should have recognized, sunlight painting its golden rectangles to the walls and floor. Someone was beside his bed but before he could identify them and they could reach him he'd fallen again, the abyss of darkness welcoming him coldly.

He struggled against it. He did. He tried. But the darkness was all around him, suffocating him, and at times he thought he heard screams. Sometimes he thought he felt a pull, like there was a string tied to the back of his mind and someone was hanging onto it with everything they had. It engulfed him, calling him in, something familiar just on the other side.

He opened his eyes to see moonlight streaking the room with its silvery color. But with a single blink of an eye the light was gone; the room was engulfed in darkness again.

He closed his eyes and fell to the whirl within his head, the burn of his body fading away.

Once, he could hear it. He could, he was sure of it. But he wasn't sure _where_ he could hear it coming from. Was it from inside his mind? From the other side? Or from the room he was in, was it just a conversation the people in there with him were having?

He heard the screams, that much was certain. But it was going on and off, like a badly attuned radio so that he didn't hear it properly. And it didn't seem to belong to him. Then again it did. But it didn't.

It made his head ache, burning waves raging through his skull and down to his neck, just below his ear and next to his shoulder. It hurt so much he wanted to scream. Maybe he even did, when it hurt so and the voices from inside and out were mingling, losing their significance. It all became a messy mass of sounds he didn't understand and then there was that pull, calling him in more sweetly and alluringly than anything else. It offered salvation where he couldn't reach it; there was something in between, preventing it. That something made his body twist, pain tearing it as he struggled to get through. He knew the wall shouldn't be there; it felt wrong. It was muffling the things he heard.

He banged at it, the obstacle. No physical pain. Kicking, it didn't help. It was tuning out the screams he heard, pushing everything away from him. He knew it was bad and it shouldn't be like that.

It shouldn't.

He knew he should do something, anything, but his head hurt so badly. He wanted to get rid of it, the high wall in between, but his body didn't function. He could hear the despicably raspy breaths he tried to draw into his lungs with every inhale.

Pain altered his senses and made him numb, but at each stab of boiling whiteness which attacked his mind it became more and more clear that there was something at the edge, swirling. He couldn't catch it, it was slipping away like wisps of silky hair, but it was something bad. Something bad and wonderful, a name he should've known. But it hurt to think, so he his mind whammed him back into the deceitful blackness.

He swiveled and swiveled, whamming against something, reluctant knowledge drilling into his skull, and then he was suddenly pulled back into consciousness, that name burning in his mind and pouring from his lips as he shot up on the bed and his hands grasped on thin air.

"_Harry…_"

It was a dry, hoarse croak, the best his burning lungs and throat could produce and his head hurt so, the pain was drilling to the side of his head as he remembered, remembered what had happened.

"Don't," Sirius nearly moaned, his fingers clawing at the air above the bed, _his_ bed, this was _his_ room, the door banged open and someone ran inside. "Don't come here, go away."

For a moment, just a second, he could see the youth before him, kneeling there before him, blind eyes looking up to him, telling him he'd get him out.

Not.

Not like-

"Not like that," Sirius whispered, his hands were grasped, warmth against him, worried amber eyes looking down to him as he fainted again.

*_*_*

Sirius remembered. He didn't want to.

He was forced to wake up with a wand pointed at him.

"No," he croaked to his friend's face that was looking down to him from the side of his bed. "_No_," he repeated, his head digging into the pillows. "No, no, no, no, fucking _hell_, no!"

"Sirius-" Remus tried, the wand lowering as he leaned closer.

"Fuck no," Sirius gasped, hands rising to his temples as he rolled away. "No, Moony, please, no."

"Sirius," the werewolf tried again, leaning in, placing a hand to the burning shoulder. "Sirius, you've-"

The man on the bed cursed, his fingers digging to the sides of his head. His legs shifted, jerking, and then he was gasping, pants dropping from the dry lips. His eyes had a staring look in them as he gazed at the wall, fingers grasping.

"That idiot," Sirius ground out hoarsely, sounding pained, his fingers twitching against his head. "That…" he trailed off, frighteningly sinking into silence as his fingers grasped at his hair.

"Sirius?" Remus said softly.

"I thought he understood," Sirius whispered suddenly, his voice hoarse and dry, fingers rubbing his temple. "He should've understood…"

"_Who,_ Sirius?" Remus asked, and then the man had turned to look at him, too fast, the eyes before him were dim and disoriented, gleaming and staring, looking straight through.

"Why did you let him?" Sirius croaked, desperation in his eyes and voice that was nothing more than a breathed sigh. "Why did you…" His eyes slipped away, looking into nothingness somewhere in the room as his fingers grasped at his temple again and a tearing cough shook his body.

Remus swallowed, taking the man's hand in his and holding it tightly, hoping the physical contact would help Sirius to stay with them. "Harry?" he asked tentatively, all but prepared for the scorching and anguished look he received at once.

"He's not there," Sirius pleaded, his voice nearly inaudible, his fingers grasping at the werewolf's as their gazed met briefly. "He's not in there, right?"

"Sirius-"

"Tell me he's not in there!" Sirius yelled, his voice breaking into a breathy sputter as he shot up from the bed and grabbed the other man's collar. "He's not, _tell_ me he's not," he nearly begged, feverish grayness drilling into the amber eyes before him as his fingers grasped at Remus' shirt. "He's not there, I thought he _understood_…"

"Sirius," Remus said, shocked when he saw the frighteningly familiar nothingness in the other man's eyes. "Sirius, I don't-"

"I thought he understood," Sirius breathed, his words barely understandable, the feverish gleam returning to his eyes as he fell back down on the bed and his hand rose to cover his eyes. "I thought he understood."

"Understood what, Sirius?" Remus asked, leaning in again. "Who should've understood? And what?"

Sirius' fingers grasped at the sheets but he didn't feel the smoothness under his skin. He clenched his fist, clenched and clenched but he couldn't do it properly, there was no strength left in his body. Nothing more, just the dull drill on his mind, clawing at his neck. The burn on his body, the swirling of his head, everything getting mixed up and confused and still he understood too much, felt too much.

It hurt. Bloody brat, he should've understood. But then again, he was just a brat, just a-

"Fucking moron," Sirius breathed, turning away from his friend. He inhaled through his nose and only faintly realized it was stuffy. He thought he could smell Harry's scent on the sheets. "You damn idiot."

*_*_*

They all thought he was sleeping but he was a lot smarter than that.

He could hear them downstairs, gathering up in the kitchen like lost lambs in wait for their shepherd. One by one, they dragged their miserable selves into that long room and seated themselves; he could nearly see it from his bed where he'd lain, bound to the mattress by his weak state.

But not anymore, no. He'd been cunning.

Sirius had made sure to keep absolutely quiet as he slipped from shadow to shadow and from floor to floor, careful to avoid the creaking stairs as he'd made his way towards the kitchen after making sure they were all there already. Silently, silently like a thief in the night; he'd found a good spot right next to the slightly ajar door where he could see into the room without being seen in turn. And from there he saw the untouched mugs of coffee and hot cocoa which steamed away in front of the little partiers, held between their hands like they were trying to absorb warmth from them.

Then the fireplace flared up and Dumbledore stepped out. And in that instant, as Sirius looked at the old man brushing ash from his robes, such hatred rose within him that he had to clench his fists too harshly to keep still, his lips twisting down before a grimace mutilated them even further. The feeling was something he couldn't fully understand but at that moment he didn't even have to, all of his concentration going to keeping still and quiet as he watched. He had to remember he was just an observer. At least for now. He had no interest in joining that little party.

Sirius looked at the other people in the room just when Remus opened his mouth, the man's amber eyes gleaming in the firelight.

"Well?" the werewolf asked after the old man had securely seated himself, his too loud voice echoing in the long room and startling half the people in there. It made Sirius grin as he waited for Dumbledore's answer and for a while he forgot about the pain licking his wrists- caused by the strength he was still clenching his fists with. He heard the man sigh and a different kind of pain attacked him, nearly drowning him until Arthur's voice shattered it apart for a while.

"What did they say?" the man asked in turn, and clearly minded the volume of his voice so that it barely swept over all of them as he straightened enough to get his words understandable instead of them being a mass of syllables muttered through his wife's hair.

Dumbledore let his eyes circle the room again, a wrinkled hand coming to rest against the table as the old man leaned to his arm lightly. At first he didn't say anything, staring at them all as if he had suddenly been given the task to memorize every single person's face in the room with him.

Sirius snorted to himself in the corridor and leaned his head to the wall, just for a while allowing his eyes to close. Then he accepted the light again and returned to his observer's role just when the old man sighed.

"Nothing," Dumbledore said quietly, and pain flared up the side of Sirius' neck. He muffled his moan in time to hear fingers tapping against the table. "They don't care," the man added nearly coldly and Sirius' fists clenched even further, his shoulders tensing. "They have the exact amount of prisoners they're supposed to have and that's all that mattered to them."

"What?!" Remus exclaimed incredulously, just for this once reflecting everything the man outside the kitchen was feeling. "So you're saying that-"

"_I _am not saying anything, Remus," Dumbledore corrected quietly, his fingers tapping again.

"Right," the man retorted coldly, his voice nearly a snarl. "But you didn't say anything before, either. I _told_ you Harry wasn't alright but instead of listening to me, you shunned it out before sending me away. Is that your way of dealing with difficult things, Dumbledore? First you make us believe that Harry's alright and when it turns out he's anything _but_ fine, you just turn a blind eye to it." He scoffed. "My friend is up there," the man nearly growled, pointing at the ceiling while keeping his eyes riveted at the man who looked very old and very indecisive, not knowing that Sirius was frowning just outside the door as he slid to sit on the floor, legs drawn up against his chest and forearms resting on his knees. "He just _stumbles_ in through the front door with Kreacher at his wake and you don't find it odd at all. It looks like he's dying- " He stuttered but continued, his fist clenching. Sirius grimaced to the darkness before his eyes. "- and all _you_ seem to care about is how to cover this up when there's nothing to cover up in the first place!"

"Remus-" the man started.

"I don't want to hear your explanations, I want results!" the man nearly shouted and his fist slammed to the table as he sprung up from his chair so fast it fell and clacked against the stony floor loudly. "I want to hear how you're going to clean up this mess, Dumbledore!"

Sirius leaned his head back against the wall, only mildly interested in the shouting right behind him as his friend defended his… honor, one should probably say. He stared at the ceiling as he heard Tonks of all people joining in and telling the werewolf to calm down. His lips twisted. More shouts- too much noise to his liking it was, before a chair screeched against the stony floor and silence descended once more. He could hear irregular clacks from the kitchen before bravery erupted in the form of one of the partiers and the oppressing blanket was pushed away momentarily once more.

"I don't understand," Ron said, his weak voice echoing into the hallway and past Sirius. The words might've even managed to reach the ground floor, who knew. "What- what happened?" he asked, his tone unsure. "I mean, Harry left and Sirius came back instead. I don't-"

"You never understand a thing," Hermione nearly snarled and Sirius agreed before his hand rose to his chest and he hunched forth, barely able to accept the pain of just hearing that name mentioned. "But I don't, either," she continued, and suddenly the man felt like laughing. Everyone behind him, on the other side of that door, engulfed in brightness… They really didn't understand a thing. Not even Dumbledore; he who was supposed to understand everything.

"Well, join the frigging club," Remus' bitter voice said, bringing a small spike of searing, passing consolation to Sirius' mind before it was swept away and his headache returned.

"What happened?" Ron asked again, and outside the kitchen Sirius' head fell into his hands, his fingers digging into his temples. "To Harry."

"Yeah, because Harry's all that matters, right?" Remus snarled in turn and Sirius agreed, but his head was starting to hurt from the force of the idea that had come to him not so long ago. "That's all you've ever cared about, right?"

"He's my best friend," Ron said quietly, an explanatory and defending tone about in his voice, and Sirius grimaced into the darkness again. His fingers grasped on thin air and if he hadn't been saving his magic the curse would have attacked the redhead.

"Oh yeah? Well Sirius is mine," Remus retorted, making the man smile ever so slightly and send a silent 'thank you' towards the werewolf before a shiver ran through him. "And I'm not going to sit here and listen to you chat only about Harry when-" He swallowed, his throat twitching as a pained look jumped to his face and made his eyes glimmer. "When Sirius is like that," the man managed to grind out, his hand rising to sweep over his mouth.

Sirius frowned in the shadows of his hide, confused. As far as he knew, there was nothing wrong with him. And the headache, they didn't know about the headache and voices because he hadn't told them. So they should be under the impression that he was just fine, right?

"How is he, really?" Dumbledore asked.

"He's insane, if you ask me," Ron said and Sirius' head rose. He heard a muffled cry and a crash as a chair flew to the floor again, his friend's furious voice attacking him and making his headache even worse.

"You keep your mouth shut about things you don't know!" the werewolf shouted, and once more Sirius felt slightly grateful for the man.

"Calm down!" Tonks retorted in turn, and Sirius could nearly see the woman trying to pull the man away in his mind's eye. Good luck trying.

"The hell I will!" Remus yelled. "Who exactly was it that wouldn't even look at Harry while he was here because the lot of you deemed him insane?!" Sirius frowned, his fingers sweeping past the side of his neck again. "Who was it that shunned him out and refused to see what was happening to him because that would've shattered your bloody easy-going lives?!"

Sirius scowled and his fists clenched as an emotion so familiar poisoned him once again. His whole body burned as he leaned his head back to the wall and tried to restrain it, telling himself he needed his magic. But the feeling was so strong and he wanted to do something about it, he wanted to show to those on the other side what it meant to treat him like that. They had no right, and that thought swirled in his mind over and over, making it reel and feel light as his fists clenched even further. He could feel his magic coursing inside him, making his fingers tingle, hindering his thinking.

"I think it would be best for us all if you calmed down a bit now," Kingsley said, from the other side and to Remus, but Sirius tried to listen and force the killing amount of energy back, he knew he would be needing it in a bit. And slowly, notch by notch, he felt the hum retreating, drawing back until it was only at the back of his mind again.

He heard Remus sneering before more bitter words fell, and in order to shield himself against the emotions Sirius drew his legs against his chest and hugged them, thinking, just thinking about the smile he would soon see again.

"I saw you," the werewolf snarled, and Sirius' hold on his knees tightened. "I saw you looking at him like you wished you'd never met him! The only thing he did wrong was to –"

"Remus, I believe that's quite enough," Dumbledore said quietly, cutting through the protest like he always did. "From what I gathered, Sirius is still asleep. You will wake him up if you keep on making such a hassle."

Sirius nearly snorted, but managed to hold it back. It was ridiculous, but he was feeling as if his magic would surge out and do irreversible things if he as much as breathed.

Poison.

"Well, maybe he should wake up, then," Remus retorted. "I'd like to see what he has to say about this frigging mess."

Sirius swallowed and thought of the smile, once more reminding himself of why he was there as a silence descended over the outsiders. Fingers, he could hear a finger tapping against the table lightly before a chair was drawn and apparently Remus sat down again.

"How is Sirius?" Dumbledore asked again, and Sirius wondered why they were so interested in him.

"Go and see for yourself," Remus snapped, and Sirius shuddered lightly. Pain clawed once more. "Maybe then you'd understand why I told you to let Harry go into Azkaban to see him."

"That would've destroyed him," Dumbledore said. "You know it just as well as I do."

"And still Harry miraculously managed to get himself into Azkaban without that much effort," the werewolf said sarcastically and Sirius curled up a bit more. The pain... "I wonder what exactly would've been destroyed in the end."

"Only their mental stability," Dumbledore said sharply. "I gave you many reasons as to why they shouldn't be allowed to be close to each other, Remus."

Sirius moved, clutching his upper arms in his hands as he nearly hugged himself. Listen, he would only listen without feelings from now on.

"And none of your reasons made any sense to anyone else than you," Remus said coldly.

"Well maybe they will now," Dumbledore said. "That's exactly what I was talking about," he continued, and Sirius knew it had something to do with him.

"What's going on in here?" Ron put in between, his voice sharp and loud enough to be heard. His words ran up to the ground floor this time. "Sir," he added and it was an afterthought. Sirius concentrated on listening again.

"Nothing is certain," Dumbledore said quietly, sounding so much of a martyr that Sirius could feel the anger rising again, his magic burning his arms as it concentrated on his hands and ordered him to let it loose. He wanted to hurt, hurt them all so badly for making Harry endure such things. Stupid they were, every single one of them. Hurt, that was what he wanted to do, but now he had to listen, maybe the outsiders would tell something that was valuable.

"But you have a theory, right, sir?" Hermione asked, her voice so feeble, and suddenly Sirius hated her, too, for abandoning Harry, he'd counted on those two to be there for the youth.

"He always has a theory," Remus snorted and Sirius agreed, but he hated them so, he could feel it burning his body but he had to restrain it, he'd need his magic later.

"I can't know for sure," Dumbledore said, again with that tone which aggravated Sirius so but he just clutched his arms and hoped it would be enough as the man continued. "And Sirius can't tell."

"Why?" Hermione asked and Sirius joined in on that question. Why indeed?

"Because he isn't stable," the old man replied and Sirius frowned. "Neither of them are," he added after a small pause.

The pain…

"Well, Sirius isn't, that's for sure," Ron said. "I mean, I've heard him, he screams in his sle-"

"As if Harry didn't scream," the werewolf interrupted. "Or did you already forget?"

It hurt… His head…

"All of that," Dumbledore said, his tone sharp. "Is the effect of the spell Harry used."

But he had to listen.

"We- We haven't forgotten that he screamed," Ron nearly mumbled. "And we tried to tell someone!" he added hastily, sounding like he was trying to defend himself. "We tried to tell someone Harry wasn't the same as before, but you- you just-"

He wanted to…

"You just said that he never would be," Hermione filled in. "You said that Harry would get better but he'd never be the same ever again. And we believed you, even though we-"

Wanted to…

"Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said, and the girl abruptly fell silent. He held a small pause, then sighed lightly again. "These events aren't anyone's fault per se. But I admit that I miscalculated the strength of the spell Harry used and… here's the result."

He…

"I- I'm afraid I don't get it," Ron said quietly.

"What a surprise," Remus muttered bitterly.

Needed it…

"The spell Harry used," Dumbledore said, an explanatory taint in his voice again. "That's the reason to all of this. Without it, I doubt any of this would've happened."

"But you canceled it," Ron stated, hope in his voice. "I heard about it, you canceled it."

Harry…

"A spell of that caliber can't be canceled," Dumbledore said, his fingers tapping against the table lightly. "I'm sure Ms. Granger already told you this. That kind of magic can be reversed only by the one who performed it, and that is its greatest strength along with its greatest weakness."

"But- what happened, then?" Ron asked.

"We can only speculate," the man said. "_I_ can only speculate," he corrected himself.

He _needed_…

"Well, what are your 'speculations', then?" Ron asked.

Needed to listen…

"The connection, the bond, the link- whatever you wish to call it- between Harry and Sirius… Apparently it stayed strong even after I managed to tamper with it. Maybe I shouldn't have done that. But if I hadn't, Harry would be dead now."

They might say something which would help him out…

"The bond they shared drove Harry insane," Dumbledore said blatantly. "It drove them both insane," he corrected himself before continuing. "Their minds couldn't withstand the strain they were forced to endure. Our magics aren't supposed to mingle they way theirs did, simply because it would upset the balance of our mind too much. Our magic is something personal; we don't share it with anyone. It can be entwined on the surface lever- similar to a bonding-ceremony- but never to the extent Harry and Sirius' magic fused together."

But it…

"So what happens when it does?" Ron asked feebly.

Dumbledore took his time answering. "You already saw the results," he finally said quietly. "The ones suffering from it go insane."

It was…

"Why?" Ron nearly snarled.

"Because that's the way it is," Dumbledore said softly. "As I already said, our magics aren't supposed to mingle to that extent. It's too much. And as everyone knows, our magic is connected straight to our mind. When one is unbalanced it directly affects the other."

"How does it show?" Mrs. Weasley put in between. "The insanity."

"Differently, with different people," Dumbledore said. "What we see in Harry and now Sirius is just a variation of the same thing. I don't think it should even be called 'insanity', because it gives the wrong impression."

Was it?

"The wrong impression?" Mrs. Weasley parroted. "How?"

"When you're told someone is insane, you automatically assume he's hearing voices or things similar to that, correct?" Dumbledore asked, but never waited to see or hear any agrees. "You think they hear things, are incoherent, claw at the walls, scream unfathomable things to people who are not there or who don't even exist. That is the definition of 'insanity' to most people. But this is different."

"How?" Ron asked, sounding as if someone was trying to strangle him. "Harry heard things. He clawed at the walls in St Mungo's. He- He screamed in his sleep and talked about Sirius as if he was in the room with us. How's that not- not insane?"

Was there a scream?

"Because there is a reason to his behavior," Dumbledore said.

"A reason?" Mr. Weasley parroted in turn.

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "The spell Harry performed. What you need to understand is that when two persons magics intermingle to that extent, the border between their minds starts to fade away. They stop understanding things separately, and that is the reason why they did- and still do- the things they do. What Sirius feels is what Harry feels and vice versa. They don't understand it isn't originating from them but from the other, and that's what makes it so dangerous."

"But- But they _have_ to understand!" Ron nearly exclaimed. "They… they have to," he repeated feebly.

From… inside?

"They don't understand," Dumbledore said silently but clearly. "They don't understand and that's why it's so dangerous. It's too sneaky, everything about it. When the border that's keeping our mind exclusively our own starts to crumble down, most of the time we don't even realize it's happening. It's too surreptitious."

"But- But they have to realize it!" Hermione said loudly. "You can't just go and share your mind with someone without noticing!"

Where?

"Where is our mind, Ms. Granger?" Dumbledore asked. "Where is it if not in our soul? In our magic? They don't notice it because it isn't just one part of them that is connected. It's their whole being, everything they've got. Mind, soul, body, magic; it's all of the same origin in the end. Everything they have, it's linked to the other now."

"But- Is that even possible?" Mr. Weasley asked, dumbfounded. "Is it possible to share something so deeply?"

"It is," Dumbledore said. "Something like this was done thousands of years ago, it was common back then. So yes, it is possible. But not recommendable."

It hurt.

"Why?" Ron asked sharply.

"Because it's extremely dangerous," Dumbledore stated. "If the connection goes too far, digs in too deep, the ones sharing it start to lose themselves bit by bit. They forget what it was like to be 'alone' in their mind and in the end their personalities and traits- what makes them distinctively _them_- will disappear, just fuse together. Then, finally, there would be just one person, sharing two bodies."

A shocked silence fell, drawn over the room like a heavy curtain that smothered every sound.

"What would happen to them if- if things went to that?" Ron asked with a shaky voice, sounding like he didn't really want to hear the answer but that the words had slipped from him before he'd managed to stop himself.

"They would die," Dumbledore said quite bluntly, his fingers tapping against the table again. "Sooner or later, first one body would cease to exist and then the other. That happened in the past as well. The first body would go because they didn't need it anymore, and the remaining one would be burnt to ashes because of the magic and energy coursing through it."

But did it really?

"But didn't you just say that there would be only one person by then?" Ron asked. "So why would the second body perish as well?"

"Because it's too much," Dumbledore said. "Too much magic, too much energy. Even if it's only one person, he has the magic and energy of two. A human body can't withstand that much without burning itself to ashes."

Was it real?

Ron opened his mouth, dim hope already lighting up his eyes but the man shook his head, looking sad. "No, Mr. Weasley," he said quietly. "I know what you are thinking, but it wouldn't work like that. It wouldn't be Harry anymore, more like a fusion of him and Sirius. You might be able to recognize your friend from there from time to time, but in the end it wouldn't be the person you met and befriended."

Was anything real anymore?

"Is there a way to reverse it?" Hermione asked, feeble hope in her voice. "To prevent it from happening?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Maybe," he said. "But Harry is the only one who can reverse it and he's in Azkaban. And even if we get him out in time, there're no guarantees that he'd want to reverse the spell if he was asked to."

"Of course he would!" Ron exclaimed. "Harry doesn't want to _die_!"

"No, I believe he doesn't," Dumbledore said. "And it's possible it wouldn't even go to that. But what _you_ need to understand, Mr. Weasley, is that they wouldn't see it like we do. They _can't_ see it like we do, because they wouldn't think of it as dying. I doubt they could even understand something like that to be possible."

"But that- that's just… _insane_," Ron said, nearly incredulously.

Was his head really hurting?

"As I already said, that kind of a connection is very dangerous," Dumbledore said quietly. "And what makes it so dangerous is that the two sharing it… they don't see anything wrong with it. It creeps up to them and slithers to their minds so that in the end, they can't live without it. It can't be forcibly erased by an outsider because that would just create a magical shock and kill them both in an instant."

"But-" Ron started, his voice shaking.

Was it his magic, telling him to kill them all?

"But what about the rest?" the girl asked suddenly.

"What do you mean, Ms. Granger?" Dumbledore asked.

Was it really just his magic?

"How-" Hermione started. "How is Sirius here?" she finally blurted out, and Sirius raised his head on the other side. He blinked before standing up, feeling as if he'd awoken from a long dream as his hand slid to his pocket and he started to climb up the stairs. He didn't hear if the girl got an answer to her question or not; he didn't care.

It felt like he was flying as he went to the front door, barely even registering his image from the mirror next to him or the bang the kitchen door made as people emerged from the room. He couldn't remember if he'd made a sound or not.

But was it really just his magic, igniting his blood so much?

"Sirius!"

Were they really calling for him? Or was it just a dream?

"Sirius, where're you going?" Remus asked, running to his friend's side.

But it was just a dream. Everything was too soft, too sharp, he could see things differently so it had to be a dream as a hand pulled on his upper arm and forced him to halt.

"I need to go," he said, and even his voice sounded dreamy; it was raspy and throaty and reminded him too much of the past.

"What?" Remus asked and suddenly Sirius wanted to kill him so, did he deserve to live after treating Harry that way?

"I need to go," Sirius repeated quietly, dragging his eyes from the wood before him to his friend's face. "Let go," he added.

"Sirius, you can't go anywhere," Remus said, sounding outraged. "You're sick, you-"

Deserved to die; the wolfy did deserve to die.

"Let go," Sirius said again, still dreaming, not feeling a thing as his hand slipped from his pocket with a comforting weight pulling it down. His friend didn't seem to understand, the hold staying on him.

"Sirius-"

"You treated him like shit," Sirius interrupted, a frown falling to his face. The walls were nearly talking to him and suddenly he could see Harry so clearly, kneeling before him again, not listening to his faint protests as he worked his magic.

"We didn't-"

"Leggo," Sirius said. He turned, looking at his friend, from the corner of his eye he could see their audience as well as he placed his fist on the man's chest. The blade glinted in the faint light pouring from the windows on each sides of the door. "Leggo," he repeated when Remus did nothing but stare, wide-eyed and trying to play innocent.

"Sirius-" the werewolf tried but Sirius moved his hand, the sharp edge of the knife pressing against his 'friend's' shirt.

Did any of these people deserve to live?

"Let go of my arm, Moony," Sirius said, not stopping the grin as it jumped to his face and twisted it. "Or I'll kill you."

"_Sirius,_" Remus said once again, sounding like a track that's jammed and plays only one part of the CD. "Sirius, be sensible, you-"

"I'm being sensible," Sirius stated. "You lot treated him like shit. Try stopping me and you'll pay for it."

"Where're you going?" the werewolf asked.

Die.

"Leggo," Sirius said for the last time.

"Sirius-"

Sirius' hand fell from Remus' chest before flying right up again, the handle of the knife connecting with the side of the other man's head and knocking him over to the ground. Sirius chuckled lightly and tossed the knife in his hand, taking a step back towards the door.

"I warned you," he said, looking down to his friend who was holding his temple with redness trailing down from between his fingers. "Try coming after me and I won't be so nice."

He laughed in contentment before placing his hand on the door handle and turning it, letting the brightness in before he stepped out into it as well.

Die.

They deserved to die. But later.

He needed to find him.

So, he disappeared, the door clicking shut at his wake and leaving shocked people on the other side. Remus let out a shivering breath and heaved himself up before nearly slumping against the wall, his hand rising to his aching head as he watched Mr. Weasley and Kingsley run past him and out onto the streets with their wands at the ready and the door left hanging open. Pale light poured in to the worn-out carpet and to the people who stood a foot or two away, making them look pale and sick.

The wound on the werewolf's temple was healed with frighteningly little effort and they were left waiting, staring out to the gray scenery before the two men came back in, shaking their heads and shoving their wands back into their pockets.

"We couldn't locate him," Kingsley said as he closed the door and blocked out the anemic light in favor of the warm oil lamps and chandeliers. "It appears he Disapparated."

"He shouldn't be strong enough," Remus breathed quietly, shock still hindering his thinking, making his thoughts scatter to pieces as he tried to collect them. "He could barely lift his head from the pillows earlier. Getting up and using magic would've knocked him out if not… killed him."

"Apparently he was stronger he let us believe," Kingsley said reasonably.

"Well, if he has his bracelet then we've nothing to worry about," Mrs. Weasley said with a slight shrug as she pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. "We'll just-"

"He doesn't have it," Mr. Weasley interrupted, startling everyone as he walked down the stairs with the silvery strap hanging from his fingers. "I found this from his room," he continued as he reached the ground floor, lifting the bracelet. "Along with these," he added and lifted several empty vials to the soft light.

"What are they?" Mrs. Weasley asked while Dumbledore took one and sniffed lightly.

"Energy Potion," the man muttered, sounding nearly surprised.

"Energy Potion?" Remus parroted as he pushed himself off the wall and wobbly walked closer. "Why would there be Energy Potion in Sirius' room? And who made it?"

"Hmm," Dumbledore mumbled, turning around with the vial in his hand. He headed for the kitchen and soon everyone followed, glancing at each other before taking that first step. By the time they reached the room the old man was already seated with Kreacher by his side.

"Good evening, Mr. Dumbledore," the house-elf said while they all seated themselves again.

"What are these?" Dumbledore asked, giving Kreacher the vials. The creature took them with a tilted head, examining them for mere seconds before returning them again.

"Potion vials, Mr. Dumbledore," Kreacher said.

"What were they doing in Sirius' room?" Dumbledore asked.

The house-elf's head cocked to the other side as it took a polite look of confusion to its old face, its fingers entwining on its chest. "Kreacher does not know," it said.

"Where is Sirius now?" Dumbledore asked.

Kreacher widened its eyes lightly, glanced up to the ceiling, and then back to the old wizard. "Working, Kreacher would assume," it said solemnly.

"Where?" Dumbledore inquired.

Kreacher tilted its head forth and then to the side, pursing its lips and looking pondering before a smile lit up its face. "Out," the house-elf said. "Master Sirius went out."

"Why?" Dumbledore asked.

"Because Master Sirius had things he needed to attend to," Kreacher stated.

"What things?" Dumbledore asked, his fingers tapping against the table.

"Things that need to get settled," the house-elf said matter-of-factly before throwing Dumbledore a look. "Mr. Dumbledore should mind his own business," it blurted out, frowning. "Master Harry said so. Master Sirius says so. Mr. Dumbledore should just mind his own business and leave Master Harry and Master Sirius alone."

"I'm worried about Sirius," Dumbledore said. "He might harm himself. Or someone else," he added quietly.

"Master Sirius is quite alright, Mr. Dumbledore," Kreacher said. "Master Sirius won't harm himself."

"How can you know that?" Remus put in between.

"Kreacher knows," the house-elf said simply.

"Did Sirius say something to you?" Dumbledore asked.

"Master Sirius knows he can trust Kreacher," Kreacher said proudly. "Master Sirius knows that Kreacher likes this house just as little as Master Sirius does. And Master Sirius knows that Kreacher took care of Master Harry while he was here. The same can't be said about the rest of you," it added with a low murmur.

"But did Sirius mention anything about this?" Dumbledore asked. "Did he say where he was going to go?"

"Mr. Dumbledore shouldn't pry other people's business," Kreacher said, pursing its lips again. "It is most impolite. Master Sirius knows what he is doing and he will return when he is finished with him."

"Finished with who?" Dumbledore asked immediately, and the house-elf frowned innocently.

"Did Kreacher say something?" it asked before throwing the old wizard a look again. "Mr. Dumbledore is nosy," it said.

"Kreacher, who did Sirius go to meet?" Remus said loudly, wondering if the others heard the slight desperation on his voice. "Where is he?"

"That's none of your business, sir," the house-elf said.

"Kreacher?" Mr. Weasley asked suddenly.

"Yes?" the house-elf replied.

"Where did you go with Harry?"

Kreacher blinked in confusion while everyone turned to look at the man who just shrugged. The house-elf tilted its head. "Where did we go with Master Harry?" it parroted.

"Yes," Mr. Weasley said. "Four days ago. Where did you go?"

Kreacher's arms crossed on its sunken chest and it sucked its lips into its mouth, rocking once on its heels. "Now where did we go…" it muttered but it was clearly just an act as it tugged at the pure white fabric lightly.

"That's right," Mr. Weasley encouraged. "Can you tell me? Or did Harry tell you to lie?"

"Master Harry would never ask Kreacher to lie!" the house-elf exclaimed heatedly, its hands falling to its sides before it returned them to his chest. "Master Harry is too honest to ask for such things," it murmured.

"Did Sirius tell you not to tell us where he went?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"It's none of your business!" Kreacher said loudly.

"So he did ask you to lie for him," the man concluded. "That's just like him, really."

"Master Sirius wouldn't ask Kreacher to lie for him!" Kreacher nearly shrieked, looking upset as it tugged at its gown again, this time in real discomfort.

"So he told you where he went?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Maybe," Kreacher said sneakily, a grin suddenly appearing to its old face. "Maybe Master Sirius mentioned it when he talked with Kreacher a while back and told Kreacher to bring him some of the Energy Potion Kreacher had made for Master Harry."

"You what?!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, her palm slamming against the table as she sprung up from her chair. "You made Energy Potion for Harry?!"

"It was of Master Harry's request," Kreacher said.

"Why?" Dumbledore asked.

"Master Harry did not want to sleep," the house-elf said with a slight shrug. "Master Harry asked Kreacher to make some Energy Potion for him so that he would not have to. So Kreacher makes Energy Potion. "

"Why didn't he want to sleep?" Mrs. Weasley asked outraged.

"Master Harry did not want to sleep so Kreacher made him some Energy Potion," Kreacher repeated. "Master Sirius wanted to get out of bed so he wanted some Energy Potion."

"Why?" Dumbledore asked. "What was so important that he had to get out of bed while being sick with pneumonia?"

"Master Sirius isn't sick anymore," Kreacher informed with a slightly smug smile. "Kreacher healed Master Sirius before he went out."

"You what?!" Remus asked, astonished. "House-elves can't heal their family!"

"Why not, Mr. Lupin?" Kreacher inquired. "It was an order and Kreacher- just like any other house-elf – has to obey its master's orders."

"But-"

"So Sirius is healthy now?" Dumbledore cut in before Remus could form his protest fully.

"Yes," Kreacher stated proudly. "Master Sirius is healthy and fully able to do what is necessary."

"'What is necessary'?" Remus parroted. "What the hell does that mean?!"

"It means that Kreacher knows where Sirius went and was ordered not to tell us," Dumbledore said. "Or am I wrong?" he asked from newly grinning creature.

"No, Mr. Dumbledore," the house-elf confirmed. "Would you like to have some dinner?" it asked right after.

"No!" Remus exclaimed. "I want to know where my friend went with a knife in his hand!"

"That is Master Sirius' own business," Kreacher stated. "Master Sirius has a strong sense of justice, Mr. Lupin. He will do what needs to be done."

With that, the house-elf bowed curtly and disappeared with a loud crack.

"That house-elf is bonkers," Ron said abruptly. "'Do what needs to be done'. What the hell does that mean?!"

A small silence whammed over them roughly, and during it Remus thought too much. The situation brought a memory from the past back to his mind, too vividly to be ignored, and the more he thought, the more a horrible feeling slithered to the pit of his stomach, making it turn into lead. His heart thudded against his ribs before his eyes flew to Dumbledore and their gazes met. He realized they were thinking about the same thing. "No," he sputtered, catching everyone's attention while he kept staring at the old man.

"What?" Ron asked.

"He didn't," Remus muttered, his hand rising to his mouth before it continued its journey up and swept through his hair. His heart jumped to his throat when Dumbledore didn't say anything and right after his lungs wrung every bit of air out of him, making him gasp painfully.

"Remus, what is it?" Mr. Weasley asked worriedly. "Did you realize something?"

"He didn't," the werewolf nearly groaned.

"It seems he did," Dumbledore said quietly, his fingers tapping again.

"Did what?" Ron asked loudly.

"But he wouldn't…" Remus tried, and right after knew that he _would_. The rest of his sentence was lost somewhere along the way as panic whammed over him. "Dumbledore, we need to _find_ him!" he shouted, springing up from his chair.

"I know," the old man said and looked too calm and collected to the werewolf. "I _know_," he repeated when he saw the look in Remus' eyes. "We will," he said with emphasis.

"But he could be anywhere!" Remus said loudly. "Does he even know where _he_ is?" he continued after the smallest of pauses, calamity seeping into his veins and making his heart beat painfully against his Adam's apple.

"We all knew he had a lot of hideouts all around London," Dumbledore said. "Sirius knows it just as well."

"But- But there's at least a dozen of them!" Remus exclaimed, ignoring the completely baffled looks of everyone else in the room. "We can't just go through them one by one if they're both in the twelfth one! It's too late by then!"

"I know that, Remus," Dumbledore said sharply before standing up and gathering them all up with a single glance. "There're six of us here," he said. "Two hideouts per person."

"So in the end it's one on one if someone finds him," Remus said, his voice getting louder. "Do you have _any_ idea what-"

"I have a fairly good idea of how skilled Sirius is, Remus," Dumbledore cut in. "But we have two highly trained Aurors; it's not like we're sending a sheep to the wolf. Besides, his magic is highly unstable. I'm surprised if he didn't pass out right after Apparating to the first hideout."

Remus bit back the retort that was boiling on his tongue, his fists clenching as he concentrated on the others in the room again. "What're you waiting for?!" he barked, making them start. "We need to go before he kills him!"

"Who?!" Tonks exclaimed. "Who in the bloody hell are you talking about?!"

Remus glanced at Dumbledore who was already digging out his wand and looking more solemn than ever. The name felt poisonous on his lips as he let it pass and he didn't even want to imagine the hatred Sirius felt towards the man in question. He just wished they would get there in time.

"Mundungus Fletcher."

Kill.

* * *

**A.N/** Two words: The. Muse.

Review to give him a piece of your mind!


	33. Chapter 33

**A.N/ **Yes. I know. I won't even get to get started on explaining before you lynch me, right? *chuckles* Long story short, I lost the inspiration to write about anything for a long while. That thing seems to have been fixed now; I like my muse again.

So get to it, and any complaints you can direct to my sadistic bastard of a muse. :P

* * *

Not there.

Not there.

Not, not, not, not, not.

Still not there.

The thief must've known that Sirius was coming.

Tenth hide and still nothing.

Eleventh, nothing.

Twelfth…. looked empty at first. There was nothing but debris and dirt there, but Sirius reckoned that that was all that the thief would ever deserve. That slimy, filthy traitor.

Sirius kicked a box out of his way as he walked further in and heard rats squeaking in the shadowy corners as the rotten cardboard hit the wall. Damp, stuffy air floated all around him, making it hard to breathe as if there were a hand pressing a rotten cloth against his mouth and nose as he squinted and tried to see through the darkness. He looked around and could just make out the outlines of collapsed shelves, and as he took a step he could feel the rotten floorboards give in under his foot.

Sirius pushed a door aside and it fell from its rusty hinges. It slammed to the wet floor with a loud but still somehow oddly muted sound to reveal a dark room behind it, and he nearly deemed it empty before something creaked at the back. A twisted smile spread to his face and he brushed his hair from his eyes, the heavy odor vanishing from his noise as the high of all consuming rage swept over him. His damned headache was merely a distant memory anymore- it had gotten replaced with a feeling he'd felt two or three times before in his life; that sharp, all-justifying anger which burned within him and allowed him to think clearly. So very clearly. Bloodlust, it was called.

"Come out, Dung!" Sirius exclaimed and heard another shift in the dark as he hit the wet, softened doorframe with his clenched fist without feeling a thing. "I know you're there so don't make me come after you!"

A second's silence greeted his words before something thudded heavily and a figure dashed across the room. Then the darkness turned and anemic, gray light pierced the area as it poured from a window a ginger-haired man was trying to tear open. The rotten boards nailed to cover the opening gave way easily and Mundungus was half out of the window when Sirius's hand closed around the back of his robes like an iron fist and yanked the squeakily protesting man back down.

Mundungus let out a breathy exhale as he hit the wet floor harshly and his lungs emptied from air, but the sound got covered by the mad squealing of the rats nearby. The man tried to get up, but a boot connected with the center of his chest and shoved him back down with a thud. The rats squeaked again in panic and the rotten floorboards rattled as they escaped the scene.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sirius asked with an almost curious tone, his head cocking to the side like a bird's as he stared down.

"_Sirius?_" the other man breathed as if he had just realized who it was and an almost absurdly surprised look spread to his face. "Why're ye-"

"You didn't expect to see _me_, did you?" Sirius said sweetly as his head cocked to the other side and he slid his hands into his pockets.

"What- I dunno what ye mean..." Mundungus spluttered. The boot dug into his chest and he let out a throaty grunt, his eyes bulging. "Ye- That 'urts," he breathed, his hand rising to the man's ankle to try and push the leg away. "Sirius-"

"You know why I came, don't you Dung?" Sirius asked quietly. "No, I bet you _do _because you've been avoiding me for hours already," he corrected himself, and a twisted grin tugged the corners of his mouth up.

"I- I haven't! I dunno!" the man protested, desperately trying to free himself from the pressure and squirm away.

"You have and you do know, Dung," Sirius said. "Why else would've you tried to run away?"

"I thought ye're one of 'em!" the man exclaimed. "I thought-"

"You knew it was me, Mundungus," Sirius interrupted again, his voice getting even quieter. "Don't feed that crap to me."

"No! I-"

Sirius removed his foot from the man to fall down on one knee, grab Mundungus' head and smash it harshly against the floorboards in one swift, deadly fast movement. "Don't fucking lie to me!" he yelled, and then smashed Mundungus' head to the ground again. "You knew it was me! You've been running your fat arse off because you knew what I'll do to you!"

"Don't-" the man tried, but a howl of pain cut him off as his head banged against the wet floor once more and his entire body spasmed. His world spun and next thing he knew he was flying through the air. He collided against the wall hard and the rotten wood gave way, flying him to the next room in a cloud of splinters.

A breathless grunt escaped from his open mouth as he collided with the ground harshly and hurt his back. Black spots raced before his eyes and somewhere amidst them he saw Sirius stepping through the gaping hole gracefully and almost lazily, like the man had all the time and peace in the world.

This room was brighter, somehow grayer, and as Mundungus's vision cleared out enough so he could get a good look of the man standing before him, his blood seemed to literally freeze. Before he even knew it, he was scrambling to get up and as far away from Sirius as possible despite the nauseating dizziness in his head.

The flick the man made with his wand was almost bored and Mundungus flew against the brick wall on their right. He howled in outraged pain as his shoulder and hip smashed against the bricks before his legs gave in and he slumped to the floor.

Sirius slowly walked closer and twirled his wand with his fingers. "Stay just a while longer, Dung," he said. And then he snickered.

"Ye're insane," Mundungus breathed with wide, almost unbelieving eyes, holding his aching arm against his side as he fought to stand up. He slipped on the wet floor and fell on his face with a pained grunt.

"Me?" Sirius asked, and took his wand properly into his hand again. "_I'm_ insane?" He laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "That's insane, Dung. If something's unhinged then it's this whole bloody world."

The man swallowed and tried to stand up again, this time with a tad more success. He leaned to the wall heavily as he stared up to the mad, burning gray depths a few feet away. "Sirius," he said with a gruff and almost pleading tone, desperately trying to ignore the burn on his side and the chaos in his mind in order to save himself from the fate those eyes were promising him. "Sirius, ye're clearly not well, ye shoulda-"

"Don't you try to tell me what to do!" Sirius said loudly, and his fist clenched around his wand. "This's all your fault!"

Mundungus shook his head, his eyes suddenly wide as he watched the slightly sunken chest heave in a fast breath after the other. "No," he breathed, and the next thing he knew a cold hand was wrapped around his throat. A small whine escaped his lips when Sirius bared his teeth and squeezed.

"This is your fault, Mundungus," the man growled quietly. "All of it. Understand?"

"No!" Mundungus tried to protest, and Sirius's face twisted in anger. His hand tightened its hold before he smashed the other man's head against the wall, hearing him grunt before his legs gave in and he sank to the dirty floor again.

"Yes," Sirius stated, and kicked Mundungus hard on the stomach, making the man grunt breathlessly again. "_Yes,_" Sirius said again, and kicked him again. This time Mundungus let out a howl and grasped his chest. "This is your fault, Dung," Sirius said and leaned in to grab the man's arm. He kicked Mundungus again when he protested before twisting the arm up and against the wall. "Your fault," he growled and then kicked the arm so that it snapped into two under his boot.

Mundungus screamed and his body twisted, and Sirius let go of the arm to take a step back and stare down to the lump on the floor. "Does it hurt?" he asked. He crouched down and tilted his head, just like a bird. "Does it hurt, Dung?" he asked again, a smile on his face.

Sirius watched sweat glide down the other man's face, gluing his dirty hair to his face in messy strands. Mundungus panted lightly and his eyes looked dazed and watery as he stared up to the grinning man with an expression of nearly confused disbelief on his face. He tried to speak but a spike of icy pain shot through his lungs and his voice was reduced into a throaty gasp of agony.

"Does it hurt?" Sirius asked once again, his grin widening. "Does it hurt even just a tiny bit, Dung?" His head tilted as he lowered his knee to the floor to rest his weight on it. "Tell me it hurts," he breathed as he grabbed the man's head and dug his pocket.

"Sirius," Mundungus started with a splutter, but the sight of the knife sliding into daylight reduced his voice into a rattle which got caught in his throat. "NO! Sirius, please!" he all but screamed, fighting to shrug the clamp-like hold off. "Please, they _blackmailed_ me!"

The man laughed again, shaking his head in the same amused manner one used when listening to a little child's unbelievable stories. "I don't give a shit about that, Dung," he stated. "You sold Harry out. So d'you know what's gonna happen now?" Sirius grinned and smashed Mundungus's head against the floor, making his squirming body still. "You'll pay for it."

"No," the other man breathed dizzily, trying to look up through Sirius's fingers. "No, Sirius, be sensible! Ye-"

"I'm being very sensible, Dung," Sirius said sweetly.

"They'll know it're ye!" Mundungus shrieked with a broken voice and tried to shrug the hold on him off with his healthier arm. "They'll know!"

"So?" Sirius asked with a chuckle and shoved the hand aside with ease. "They have a war to fight and they need Harry. _I _need Harry," he corrected himself and the knife spun in his fingers, reflecting the cold daylight to the murky and wasted walls. "You ain't worth shit in comparison, Dung."

"Ye can't kill me!" Mundungus cried out with almost childish outrage, once more trying to rise. "Ye can't!"

"Yes I can," Sirius stated quite matter-of-factly as he shoved the man back down.

"They'll know it were ye!" Mundungus repeated, trying to shout as he desperately fought to free himself, but what came out was a breathy, silent sputter, and even that silent noise died away when Sirius swirled the knife around and hit the man's stomach with the handle.

"Maybe," Sirius said loudly over Mundungus's pained cry before he grinned widely. "But honestly, d'you think they'll care? They'll be rewarding me because I did that fucking lot a favor!"

"No," the man breathed, fighting for air and shaking his head. "NO! Ye can't... kill me! If ye do, ye'll- Ye'll get thrown back into Azkaban!" he all but screamed with his breaking and uneven voice, sweat gliding down his face in hasty streams.

"No," Sirius said with a chuckle, shaking his head in turn. "No, no, no, Mundungus. I won't go back to Azkaban. I'm _never_ going back there again."

"Ye'll," the man sputtered. "They'll know it're ye!"

"They won't care," Sirius stated. "Do you think _Dumbledore_ will care even in the slightest when he hears that you're dead? He'll be thanking me cuz I rid him of such a pest!"

"No," Mundungus said once again, his head shaking violently as his hazy, pained eyes looked up to the man. "No! Sirius, mate, be sensible, ye-"

"You're not my mate, Dung," Sirius said harshly. "So shut the fuck up."

The man clenched his fist around Mundungus's shirt. "You sold Harry out," he said quietly, and suddenly the pain was back in his chest. "You just sold him out like he meant nothing at all."

"It- It weren't like that, Sirius," Mundungus tried to protest, shaking his head and fighting to get up. "Sirius, be a mate, understand me a bit, it weren't like that at all, I promise, I-"

"_You sold Harry out!"_ Sirius shouted, and the surge of magic his emotions ignited made the room creak. "YOU SOLD HIM OUT LIKE HE MEANT LESS THAN YOUR OWN FUCKING LIFE!"

"What would've ye done?" the man on the floor tried to yell in turn, but his voice broke as he moved and icy pain poured down his shoulder to his broken arm. "What would ye've done if four Death Eaters cornered ye and threatened to kill ye if ye 'adn't done what they asked?"

"I would've let them kill me!" Sirius retorted. The blade cast more reflections of bright light to the walls as his hands shook. "I WOULD DIE A HUNDRED TIMES RATHER THAN BETRAY HARRY!"

"Not all of us're 'eroes, Sirius!" Mundungus tried to move again, and gasped as it hurt.

"You could've at least tried, Dung," the man said, heaving in a fast breath after the other. His eyes blazed, and he looked more dead than alive. "You could've at least _tried_ to do the decent thing."

Mundungus shook his head as Sirius lowered the knife again. He tried to back away but his back was pressed against the wall. "No," he breathed. "No, Sirius, please, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't've done it, please…"

"This is all your fault, Mundungus," Sirius said quietly as his fingers dug into the man's damp, shaking head. His hold on the knife tightened as he brought it closer. "That being the case, would you just do me a favor and die?"

Sirius laughed almost hysterically and his waxy, white skin stretched over his face like a devilishly manufactured mask of insanity as he flung his hand up into the air. The cold light glinted in the blade maliciously and the hand holding it looked like that of a skeleton's before he brought it down.

Mundungus Fletcher closed his eyes and desperately wished for it to be over quickly. He could hear the metal cutting through the air and his heart made a last attempt to save him from the excruciating pain and following darkness.

But they never came.

Seconds ticked by slowly, too slow, and finally Mundungus pried one eye open carefully, sure that the man was just toying with him. When he realized what he was seeing his heart sprung back into action and his body tingled.

"That's enough, Paddy," Remus said quietly and his hold around the man's wrist tightened when gray fire pierced him. "It's over now."

Sirius's eyes fell to the knife which was hovering mere inches above Mundungus's chest and then to the panicky brown eyes, a frown falling to his face. "Fuck off," he spat and tried to free his hand.

"Sirius, that's enough," Remus said again.

"Fuck it," the man said, turning his eyes back to Mundungus. "Just fucking die!" he said louder and started to squeeze with the hand around the hot, throbbing throat when he realized the other wouldn't do the job for him.

"Sirius!" Remus shouted and then saw the gleam in his friend's eyes. He could nearly feel the magic coursing through the wrist he was holding and for a moment he was petrified, the purely murderous stare in the gray eyes immobilizing him.

"_Avada Kedavr_-"

Sirius was knocked over and they fell to the floor a small distance away in a heap of limbs but Tonks was quickly beaten by his bigger relative and then the man was up again, swaying dangerously with a sidestep as he looked down to Mundungus and Remus.

"Why can't you just die?" the man sputtered, the knife in his hand cutting through the air. "Why?" he asked and took a step forth, only to get immediately blocked and forced to the ground by both Kingsley and Mr. Weasley. What followed was a short and violent melee during which Sirius's knife got kicked away after he'd managed to slash both men with it.

In the end, they finally managed to restrain him and he was forced to the ground on his knees with his hands bound behind his back after they'd taken his wand away.

Mundungus was helped up and during the long process, Sirius's eyes never left the thief. The gray madness burned as long as the man was in there and even when he had been taken away into St Mungo's, Sirius continued to stare the spot where he had lain.

Even afterwards, when he was back in his room again behind closed, locked and warded doors, he continued to stare. Into nothingness with blank eyes.

And when the headache returned, he fell to lie on the bed whilst wishing he couldn't smell the intoxicating scent the pillows were holding onto.

Maybe he slept for a while, or just imagined to do so. But when he became aware of his surroundings again, after what felt like hours spent in some dark place, the headache had worsened to an unimaginable pain that made his stomach turn. He barely made it to the bathroom in time before his insides contracted harshly and he vomited. Redness splattered against white porcelain and his coughs and gags shot back at him from the white walls until he slumped to the cold tiles, unable to keep himself up anymore.

Sirius stared at the floor, at the small bit of wall he could see, at his own white palm and fingers. He didn't register any of it and wondered why he was even staring, but couldn't find the strength to close his eyes or turn his head away. The numbing pain was drilling into his skull right above his temples and on the side of his neck and it left him paralyzed. With legs and arms too heavy to move, he continued to lie there and stare idly.

It was easier to stay there and let the whiteness and brightness hurt his eyes than lie in the dark, gloomy room and in the bed which smelled of despair and Harry.

The tiles were cold against his cheek but he couldn't bring himself to care. He found it insignificant when his body stiffened from the awkward position, when his back started to hurt along with his shoulders, only adding to the pain in his head; when his kneecaps started to scream at him from the pressure which was starting to be too much. He couldn't have cared less, and finally let his eyes slide shut again so he could drown in the white darkness. Tiny patterns flew in front of his eyes, and just for a moment he thought he could nearly enjoy it before something faint echoed inside his mind.

It was a scream, and as Sirius frowned against it a bolt of searing pain shot through his head. He heard the screams again, at the back of his mind, but no matter how much he tried to run along the thin string he could nearly _see_ hanging loose in the darkness, he got nowhere. The wall that felt wrong was still there, and he knew it was muffling everything.

Sharp stabs of pain suddenly attacked the side of his neck and Sirius's eyes flew open. He stared at the whiteness for a few seconds, the brightness burning his eyes, and then his fingers clawed at the side of his neck again. He didn't remember bringing them up there but the dull gnaw was something almost calming. His nails dug into his skin again, like he could rip it open if he wanted to.

And then, suddenly, there was nothing else he could think about. He thought- no, he imagined it. He could imagine himself, lying there in between the toilet and the bathtub, his fingers digging to the soft skin. He would feel the fast beat of his heart against his fingertips as he would claw his throat open and make the pain go away. Warmth and blood would splatter to his hands and onto the white tiles, redness screaming against the purity, and with that sight burned to his retinas he would leave this world.

He would sink into the darkness and bang at the wall he could feel blocking something away long enough for it to crumble down and let him through. And then he'd be happy. And Harry, too. Harry would be happy.

Sirius smiled lightly.

The doorknob rattled and brought him back to reality with a start and a blink and his hand lowered back to the tiles as he dragged his head to the side to look at the door at the other end of the room. He could see the metallic ball shaking in its hole as the one on the other side tried to open it, obviously desperate to get in. He turned his head away and closed his eyes.

"Sirius!"

A fist connected with the wood harshly and made Sirius frown, curses on his lips as his blood rushed and suddenly brought his motility back.

"Sirius, it's me, Remus. Open up!"

The man's fingers were already grasping his back-pocket for his wand when he remembered he didn't have it. They'd taken it away from him.

Suddenly his headache worsened and he felt nauseous again.

"Sirius, I need to talk to you!"

He ignored the loud voice. His skin tingled unpleasantly as the thick waves of nausea and sickening warmth coursed through him again, over and over.

"_Sirius!_ If you won't let me in, I'm coming in on my own!"

Sirius felt the warmth surging over him and his head reeled as his fingers twitched against the freezing tiles. He swallowed, wiling the nausea to go away with all his might just when the knocking and calling ended. A moment of silence and tranquility landed before the revolting twist in his stomach forced Sirius to scramble up hurriedly and hunch over the toilet, warmth surging up his throat and mouth and splattering on the white marble at the exact same moment the door was smashed from its hinges and it swayed inwards.

"Sirius, you-" Remus started, but the rest of his sentence slipped past Sirius's ears as he vomited violently again while holding onto his stomach and closing his eyes against the sight he knew to greet him otherwise.

"Sirius!" the werewolf said with a completely different tone, his voice barely a gasp as he rushed to his friend's side and placed a hand on his shoulder, seemingly having forgotten all about the hit and threat on his life from before.

Sirius swallowed repeatedly, not feeling better as he wiped his mouth to the back of his shaky hand before straightening gingerly. He was whiter than a sheet as he leaned back against the wall and gasped for air. "What d'you want?" he asked feebly, still wiping his mouth, and swallowed to erase the bitter taste from his tongue.

"Sirius, what is this?" the werewolf asked, trying not to look into the toilet but the strong coppery scent crept into his nose all the same and made the hairs at the back of his neck stick out.

"What d'you want?" Sirius asked again as the headache returned, sweeping over him like a scythe, and even when he pressed his palms against his temples it just continued, continued to rip him apart.

"Sirius, are you alright?" Remus asked stupidly even though he knew- he could _see_ that the other man was anything but fine.

"'m fine," Sirius breathed, feeling tired and empty. He could taste copper in his mouth and tried to spit it out but he didn't have even that much strength; the red gob of saliva slowly dribbled from his lips to the white tiles and stained it.

"Sirius, this isn't '_fine'_!" Remus nearly exclaimed, pointing towards the redness that was splattered all over the white marble. "Vomiting blood isn't 'fine'! Why the hell didn't you tell anyone?"

"I'm not the one who locked me up in my room," Sirius breathed quietly, with bitter amusement.

"No, you just tried to kill someone," Remus snapped.

"He fucking _deserves_ to die!" Sirius retorted, but the loudness of his voice only made his head hurt even more and it felt like a bolt of hot pain shot through it. He held the side of his head in his hand as he whispered: "He deserves it. After what he did… he fucking deserves it…"

The man's voice faded away and he squeezed his eyes shut. The unhinged door creaked and Remus remembered why he had come here.

"Sirius," he started. "There's something you should-" He stopped when he realized the man wasn't listening to him and leaned in to grab his shoulder. "Sirius, you have to come with me," the werewolf said. "Sirius!" he said louder when nothing happened. The gray eyes opened tiredly.

"What?" Sirius asked hoarsely.

"Come with me for a second," Remus repeated. "Are you hungry?" he continued with feigned perkiness.

The man frowned, as if such a thought was absurd, and then shook his head slowly. "No," he said absently. "No, I'm not _hungry_. I want Harry," he added.

"Then come to the kitchen," Remus said, his hands falling to Sirius's upper arms to tug him up lightly. "Come."

"What?" Sirius asked. "The kitchen," he repeated feebly.

"Yes, come," Remus said sternly, and before Sirius could say a word he'd already been heaved up like he weighed nothing and guided towards the door.

"I don't want to," the man muttered, swaying and trying to break free from the other man's hold.

"You do," Remus said sharply. "Come into the kitchen or you'll never see Harry again."

Sirius blinked before swaying again, like he had been hit, his hand grasping at the werewolf's shirt. "What?" he sputtered.

"_Come_," Remus ordered, and this time Sirius came with no resistance at all. His head spun with every step he took but getting out of that room helped him to clear his mind even in the slightest, so that when they finally entered the kitchen he felt just a tad more coherent. He slumped to sit on a chair, aware that Remus had walked in behind him, probably holding onto his wand in case he decided to be difficult, and that every person in the room had clenched their own wands upon his arrival. But he was too tired to care.

A silent clack echoed in the room as goblet was lowered onto the table before Sirius. He tried to focus his eyes to it but saw it in double, and a swirl of nausea swept over him.

"Drink that," someone said. "You'll feel better."

Sirius was too tired to care if that was true or not. He just wanted the headache to go away, so he took the goblet and downed the clear, yellowish liquid in it in three long gulps. It left a bad, bitter taste in his mouth and after a second he felt like he was going to be sick again. The goblet fell to its side on the table as he swallowed repeatedly, hunched, clenching his fist. Finally the feeling went away and his head felt a tad clearer as he raised it again.

A long parchment filled with text was placed before him.

"Sign it," Dumbledore said from beside the fire, his hands clasped behind his back and the fire playing with his spectacles. Sirius slowly dragged his eyes to the man, his vision still slightly hazy. He blinked vigorously.

"What?" he asked.

"Sign the parchment," Dumbledore said clearly and slowly, as if he were talking to a dense child.

Sirius frowned and pulled the paper closer to read through the paragraphs. It was difficult; his mind felt unwilling to co-operate so he had to read some parts twice or even three times, and sometimes reread entire paragraphs to understand them, but the further he got the more confused he got. When he reached the end he just stared at the spot where he was supposed to put his name, and the light frown on his face turned into a scowl. "This is a disclamation," he said slowly and let the parchment slip back onto the table from his fingers.

"Indeed," Dumbledore confirmed, turning so that the fire was behind him and he was looking straight at Sirius. "Sign it, please."

"Why would I want to disclaim myself?" Sirius asked, slowly again, feeling like he had to pronounce every syllable very carefully through the thick knot of warmth in his chest and throat. "And what's this got to do with Harry?" he continued, his eyes dragging to Remus unbearably slow, and the name shot a stab of wringing pain into his chest.

"Everything," the werewolf said quietly as he sat down. "Sign it, Sirius. Please," he added when the man just looked at him.

"Why?" Sirius asked, swallowing again and closing his eyes. He raised a hand to his forehead to hold it. "Why would getting rid of everything I own somehow bring Harry back?"

"It will," Dumbledore said as he seated himself as well. "Please sign the paper, Sirius."

A light frown shadowed the man's face again and he slowly shook his head.

"Sign, Sirius," Dumbledore said again.

Sirius shook his head again. "No," he breathed.

"Sirius, this is the only way," Dumbledore prompted softly. "We can fix this, but we need you to co-operate."

"So now I'm suddenly useful again?" Sirius asked bitterly. "Don't make me laugh. First you lock me up and then you suddenly need me? Everything you've done's just made things worse!"

A silence fell, filled with the sound of fire crackling and licking the blocks of wood. Sirius brought his arms on the table, leaning to them lightly as he stared at Dumbledore. "You said Harry would be alright," he said with a raspy voice, feeling the same anger as before, when he had left to kill that bastard for what he had done. "You said you could save him. That's why I let you-" His fingers jerked towards the side of his neck. "Then I go to see him and he thinks I'm a fucking hallucination and- and when he- Then he couldn't even see me and-"

He swallowed, and leaned his forehead to his palm. "I thought you'd take care of him," he said with a pained tone. "I thought you could stop him if he wanted to- if he insisted on seeing me. And you-" Sirius clenched his fist and as he lifted his eyes to Dumbledore they were burning with rage. "How difficult is it to keep a fifteen-year-old put?" he asked, his voice shaking. "How hard is it to keep an eye on him and make sure he's doing alright? This house is _packed_ with people and still you couldn't stop him from destroying himself!"

"Sirius-" the old man started.

"You don't know a thing!" Sirius all but screamed and sprang up from his chair. He swayed in dizziness because of the sudden change in position before slamming his hands to the table. "Harry's sick," he whispered. "In his body. It... I could see it when he- came to Azkaban. I can _feel _it. He-"

"If Harry is sick then there's even more reason to get him out safely and as quickly as possible," Dumbledore interrupted. "I made a mistake, Sirius, I admit it," he continued. "But let me help you now. Please, sign the parchment."

Sirius's eyes dropped to the yellowish sheet. "Why?" he asked harshly. "If I sign this I give away everything. I'll be nothing; no-one. I'd be better off dead. How'll that help _anyone_?"

"You have to trust me, Sirius," Dumbledore said quietly. "This will help, I promise you that. It will help Harry. You want to help Harry, don't you?"

The man frowned at this clear sweet talk. "Of course," he muttered all the same, his hand absently rising to rub the side of his neck. "But he shouldn't have helped _me_," he added, his frown deepening.

"What's done is done, Sirius," Dumbledore said. "Now it's your turn to help Harry, and you can do that by signing the parchment."

Sirius scowled, shaking his head. "I don't believe you," he said.

"I'm not asking you to believe me, Sirius," the man said. "I'm asking you to trust me. This is the only way to get Harry out of Azkaban."

Sirius closed his eyes when he felt dizzy, and reluctantly sat down again. "I want an explanation," he muttered.

A long silence greeted his words.

"I want an explanation, or I'm not signing a thing," he said. After a moment, he could hear Dumbledore shift.

"Do you know what Harry did?" the man asked.

Sirius leaned back on his chair and tilted his head back to face the ceiling, closing his eyes. "Does it really matter anymore?" he asked quietly.

"It's vital," Dumbledore said almost as quietly.

"For who?" the man asked.

"Both of you," Dumbledore said. And then he explained.


	34. Chapter 34

Golden light poured in from the high windows giving to a flourishing garden and cloudless blue sky, creating a rectangle of light on the birch-floor and igniting the wooden boards in a soft glow. Particles of dust swirled lazily around in the beams that caught reflections of the metal on the bed in the middle of the room and the glass-jug on the nightstand. The bed was occupied by a black haired teen and at the foot of it, there was a big black dog.

There were three chairs in the room, two by the bed and one in the furthest corner next to the window. Presently, the chair in the corner was occupied by a nodding woman with blonde and scarlet-red hair.

The room was shady where the sunlight didn't reach, and as the golden shade slowly turned redder and richer, it created blood red streaks that made the black dog lying at the foot of the bed gleam like it had a soft halo around it.

As the last of the sun's beams had retreated from the room, leaving the shadows and coolness of the night behind in the dimming room, the door facing the window opened slowly and a shabby man walked inside. His eyes found the immobile form of the animal immediately and with a precision that told the tale of nothing but familiarization. From there they moved to the dozing woman, and Remus closed the door silently behind him. He turned on the lights before walking to the bed and lowering his jacket onto the stool next to it to round to the other side.

"Tonks," he said as he leaned in and touched the woman's shoulder.

Tonks started, sat upright and rubbed her eyes. "Blimey, I fell asleep," she said. "Everything okay?" She leaned left to see to the bed past the man.

"Everything's fine," Remus said. "You can leave now."

"Is it that time already? Well, have fun," the woman said and yawned. "They'll lock up at ten so you'll have to be here only- What time it is?"

"Quarter to nine."

"Right," Tonks said. "An hour and fifteen minutes it is, then." She took her bag from next to the chair and stood up. "Auror Tonks signing off. Nothing unusual. If I didn't know better I'd say they're both dead."

Remus looked at the woman and the reprimand was almost past his lips when he realized she was almost on the verge of tears. Without another word, Tonks left the room. The werewolf looked at the closed door before turning his gaze to the bed. He saw one grey eye looking at him before it closed again.

"Hello, Sirius," he said softly and went closer.

Padfoot turned his head away. After a few seconds, Remus pulled a chair and sat down quietly.

The silence seemed to ring, and as minutes stretched on the werewolf felt like he should do something to make it shatter- it was the same feeling that always swept over him when they sat like this. He knew Sirius stayed beside Harry's bed as a dog day in and out- they all knew- but even after two weeks the young man hadn't woken up. Suddenly, he got the feeling he should help Sirius let go.

"Sirius," the man started, but then found he could say no more. He didn't know what to say to this man, his friend, who lay silently like a statue hour after hour, day after day, just waiting in a disguise that couldn't do anything, could show no more affection than the boundaries of his dog-self allowed. Just waiting for Harry to either wake up or die. Suddenly, Remus felt like he had no right to say anything. But the silence was uncomfortable, and the sight of the dog's immobile body unbearable.

"They released Fletcher a while back," he said abruptly, and if he had once felt stupid for speaking to his friend when he was a dog, the feeling had by now long since faded away. "He's completely healed, I hear. No permanent damage was done when you-" When you almost killed him, he all but slipped, and could have bit on his tongue. But the dog showed no response.

The door opened again and a Healer walked in, carrying a tray in one hand and balancing a plate with steaming food on the other. She placed them on the nightstand on the other side of the bed and gave Harry's body a glance. "Good doggy," she said absently and patted Padfoot's head before turning to Remus. "Good evening, Mr. Lupin," she greeted.

"Good evening," Remus said. "No change?" he continued.

"I'm afraid not," the Healer said. She took the plateful of food and lowered it to the floor. "I know I shouldn't be doing this but otherwise it would just be thrown away," she said almost apologetically. "And this good guard-dog must eat every now and then too, right?" She patted Padfoot again as she straightened. "But he's so well-trained, I haven't once heard him bark or anything like that."

"Yes, well," Remus said a bit uncertainly and watched the Healer change the bandages on Harry's arm. "How's the wound?"

"The same. It's closing up fine."

"Oh... Okay."

They fell into silence, mostly because Remus didn't know what to say and the woman was concentrating on her work so she didn't have time to talk. Some fifteen minutes later everything was ready for the night and she collected the trays in her hands.

"I'll get going now, Mr. Lupin," she said. "Good night."

"Good night," Remus said, and watched the woman leave.

When the door had swung shut, Remus looked at the dog again. After a while Padfoot rose and hopped to the floor, and seconds later Sirius straightened. He looked tired and pale and whipcord thin to the point where his wrinkled clothes seemed to be hanging on mere bones. He just stood there for many moments, staring down to the small figure concealed with hospital robes and blankets, not even glancing at the plate steaming away by his feet, before finally almost slumping down onto the stool next to the bed like his legs were too tired to carry him anymore.

Sirius took Harry's hand in his and entwined their fingers before bringing their hands against his forehead. That single act had Remus feeling like he were intruding, but the feeling from before didn't elude- the feeling of making the silence shatter. But as he now looked at his friend, suddenly he felt sorry for him. Such a feeling almost made him feel guilty, for he knew how Sirius felt about people pitying him.

Remus's eyes flitted to Harry's immobile body and he wished the boy would wake up. He knew it was ridiculous to think his wish would be granted when it was clear that the Healers were making no progress, but suddenly he just wanted to go and shake the boy, shake him so violently he would wake up and they could all pretend nothing had ever happened.

Almost an hour passed in silence, until the sky outside was ink-black and hundreds of stars were twinkling in its faked heights. Remus was just starting to think of leaving, for surely Sirius wouldn't do anything- the werewolf had been against setting guards in the room in the first place, because he knew Sirius would never hurt Harry.

"Moony?" Sirius said suddenly, startling the man out of his thoughts.

"What is it?" Remus asked. When he saw the quiver in the taut shoulders he tried to reach over and comfort his friend but the man evaded his touch. "Sirius, it's going to be alright," he said. "I know it doesn't feel like it right now but-"

"D'you remember last Christmas?" Sirius interrupted, his voice quiet and muffled. "When we were away and you came... there and-" He trailed off.

"I remember it, Paddy," Remus said. "I'm sorry for what I said back then," he added. "I was just..." His voice faded away because he didn't know how to express it.

"I know," Sirius murmured. He turned his head enough to look at his friend from under the black curtain of hair, and again Remus was shocked by how exhausted and sad the man looked. Sirius tried to smile, but in the end the look faltered and fell from his face. "I look like shit, don't I?" he said hoarsely, and the attempt to sound humorous just made his voice break. He closed his eyes again and rested his forehead against their hands. "When you found out and... we were still up in the bathroom, I... I told Harry I love him," he whispered, so quietly it was barely audible. His shoulders tensed even further. "He looked so happy," he said with a strangled voice. "And I knew right there- I knew I'd say it to him as many times I could- I'd _do_ anything I could- to keep seeing that look on his face."

Sirius's hands tightened their hold around Harry's. Without thinking, Remus stood up, rounded the bed and sat on the mattress. He hugged the other man and felt him trembling almost violently.

"Sirius, it's going to be okay," he whispered.

The man shook his head. "No," he breathed. "And I didn't even get to say that- that I..." He trembled again, and Remus could do nothing else than hold him.

"Harry's going to be alright, Sirius," he said with as much certainty as he could muster, not wanting to hear such a tone from his friend's mouth or see him this close to breaking down. He pressed the man's head against his chest and held tight. "And you'll get to tell him everything you wanted as soon as he wakes up. You'll see."

But Sirius just shook his head. "He's not going to wake up, Remus," he whispered. "I can feel it. He- his mind- It-" The man shook his head again and swallowed difficultly. "He won't wake up anymore," he whispered, and when he cried, Remus held him tight and tried to blink away his own tears.

Finally, Sirius pushed the werewolf away. He sniffed and wiped his face to the cuff of his sleeve before leaning his elbows to the bed again. He held his head in his hand, the other was still holding onto Harry's, and moved away when Remus tried to comfort him.

"Can you leave?" Sirius asked with a gruff voice and tried to hawk. "Please, I- I just don't-"

"Sirius, I don't think-"

"Go away," Sirius said.

Remus sat still for a second or two, looking at this man who was his friend and still in a way wasn't, not anymore. "Okay," he said and stood up. He took his coat, but before leaving he turned back towards the bed. "Sirius, I-"

"I know you're sorry, Moony," the man said. "But it don't help shit. Leave me alone."

Remus tried to stifle the sting in his chest, and after a moment of hesitation exited silently.

When the door clicked shut, Sirius's hands fell to the mattress and he stared at the boy laying amidst the soft linen sheets. He reached up to brush a strand of hair from the pale face, and his shaking fingers swept over the dry, white lips. He held them there until he felt the soft current of air against them and then his hand lowered to the barely moving chest. If he concentrated enough, he could feel the weak flutter of a heart against his palm.

"You said you're sorry you loved me," Sirius whispered and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "They told me you were probably hallucinating." He held a small pause. "Did you really mean it, Harry?" he asked. "Are you sorry you loved me?"

He fiddled with a strand of the black hair spread onto the pillows. "I went to Azkaban to keep _you_ away from there, you moron," he whispered, and a light, rueful smile rose to his face. "Why did you have to do it? You- you knew it would k-kill... you."

Sirius covered his face with his hand and almost doubled over. When he could control himself again, he leaned in to press a kiss to the white forehead and whispered: "I'm not sorry that I love you, Harry". His eyes closed, and he just wished he could turn back time as he sat there and felt the soft warmth against his throat as Harry breathed with the aid of numerous spells that had been cast to keep his broken body alive.

A few days later, Sirius had made up his mind. He sat on the edge of Harry's bed again, and the faked sun was creating a familiar rectangle of golden light onto the floor. He watched it cast flickering reflections to the walls from the pieces of metal it shone down upon. The knife in his hand cast a triangular spot of light onto the wall as he rolled it over his palm.

He had lied to Tonks, who had been on duty again. He had said he wanted something to eat, maybe even coffee, and his cousin had been so happy that he showed interest in eating something that she had never questioned anything but just went to fetch something from the canteen.

He shrugged the cuff of his sleeve up and glanced at the door before pressing the blade against his wrist. His hand did a quick move, and blood burst from the wound to trail down his arm and dribble onto the sheets.

Sirius dipped his fingers in the blood, his heart racing in his chest because of the sharp pain he had thought he was ready for, before pressing them against Harry's chest. He'd bared it beforehand and felt immensely sad and remorseful at seeing the sunken form.

His fingers drew the pattern he'd learned by heart onto the almost transparent skin. He was starting to feel slightly weak and dizzy, and only faintly felt the warmth of his blood as it ran down his hand and dripped from his fingers to the floor. His entire arm seemed to have gone numb, and as Sirius opened his mouth, the room suddenly spun. He squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled through his nose, holding onto Harry's upper arm until his head had become stable again.

Sirius sent a small prayer to the god he had stopped believing in years ago, and repeated the words Harry had said to him only a month ago.

Freely translated, they were: 'I give you my everything.'

As the spell took effect, Sirius slumped half on top of his godson, his consciousness fading at a rapid pace, and felt a familiar burn at the side of his neck before he slipped into darkness.

Some ten minutes later Tonks returned to the room. She was feeling slightly guilty for being away so long because she'd had to use the bathroom as well, but Sirius had said he would manage. And besides, she thought, no-one would know.

Almost immediately upon arriving, the Auror screamed in horror and recoiled back into the corridor. The tray in her hands fell to the floor with a series of clicks and clangs and the sound of breaking glass as the plate turned upside down, flying the cutlery away in spinning circles as the glass broke. Before the plate had stopped spinning around its brim in the mess of food it had contained, Tonks had already run for the swing doors at the end of the corridor as fast as she could.

Some fifteen minutes later the doors swung open again and Dumbledore all but ran down the corridor with Tonks and a few Healers at their wake. When they reached Harry's room the man glanced in and came right back out.

"Tonks, seal this door," he said and then continued back in.

Under the eyes of four slightly confused Healers, the woman did as instructed and then turned back. "Don't try to come in, dears, that would be troublesome," she said and then went through the doorway which had a pearly white veil covering it.

Dumbledore was by the bed with his wand raised. "How long have they been like this?" he asked.

"I don't know," Tonks said, and here, where she didn't have to appear confident and perky, she let the panic in her eyes be visible. "I left because Sirius said he was hungry and asked me to go and get him some food. I was gone for ten, maybe fifteen minute tops. When I came back I found them like that. What should we do?"

"They need to get separated before-"

A bright, white light, which was emitting from the two that were becoming one as if melting together at an increasingly rapid pace, flashed. Dumbledore tried to raise his wand but a whirl of unrestrained magic forced him to take a step back as it enveloped the bed and sealed it within a barrier of over nine feet in diameter. A small whisper that sounded like wind blowing dead leaves over gravel went through the room, and Dumbledore and Tonks could do nothing but watch as Harry and Sirius seemed to sink down through the bed, through the ray of whiteness which had opened under them. After a few seconds it was over and the bed was empty, untouched, but with blood-red stains on it.

"What- What the _hell_ was that?" Tonks asked with a shaky voice.

Dumbledore covered his mouth with his hand and just stared at the vacant bed.

Two hours later, the kitchen of Grimmauld Place was packed with people of whom few knew why they had been summoned there. They talked to each other with low voices, whispering, and it sounded like there were several small fires hissing in the room until Dumbledore hurried in and the conversation- if it could be called that- ceased away.

"Albus, what is the meaning of this?" McGonagall asked immediately, rising from her chair.

Dumbledore went to the head of the table and leaned to it heavily. "The worst has happened," he said, and a choir of voices drowned his when he tried to continue. All of them were asking, demanding, people were rising up and trying to get heard until he raised his hand and finally, after many minutes, the outbreak of voices died out. "A few hours ago I was called to St Mungo's," he started. Here, he halted, as if uncertain of how he should proceed. "Harry and Sirius are gone," he finally said, and a shocked silence followed his words.

"What?" Ron croaked. "What do you mean _gone_?... Sir," he added.

"They..." Dumbledore hesitated. Then, with a heavy heart, he decided to go with the cold truth. "I believe they have become one now. The current has swallowed them."

"The current?"

Hermione opened her mouth out of learned habit. "It's a-" She glanced around and lowered her eyes onto the table, redness on her pale cheeks.

"Yes, Ms. Granger?" Dumbledore prompted softly.

The girl fiddled with the cuff of her shirt. "The current is the basis of Ancient Magic- and all magic at that- that's where it gets its strength. The currents are places where magic is in its rawest and most dangerous form. It- if a person who is unprepared for it gets into contact with it, they- they die because of magical shock." She hunched her shoulders, and her faint voice faded away.

"But why would they... get swallowed up?" Tonks asked. ´"Didn't you say before it would be just a- a fusion?"

Dumbledore sat down heavily. "Sirius may have performed the same spell Harry did," he said almost hesitantly.

"That's possible?"

"It is possible," the man admitted. "But highly dangerous. I would never have suggested it, even though it might work."

"Work? Work how?" McGonagall asked sharply.

"To put it simply, Harry died when he gave all of his magic and life to Sirius and the Killing Curse was performed," Dumbledore said, and drew a line to the table with his finger. "His body died, but his mind escaped. To Sirius, where everything of him was. After the Healers had managed to revive his body, I- intentionally- tampered with the spell as much as I dared, and managed to draw some of that life-force and energy back into Harry's body so his mind could return." He drew a second line, half the length of the first. "But the connection, established by the spell, stayed strong but it was unstable. It couldn't be stable, because it was one-sided." The man drew half-a-circle. "Sirius was one-sidedly consuming Harry's magic and energy. He was unaware of this; they both were. One dangerous and very unlikely way to fix this- as Harry was so clearly unable to cancel it- would have been Sirius performing the very same spell and giving all that was him to Harry." He drew a full circle. "Then the circle would have been closed and the connection stabilized through the exchange."

"But?" McGonagall prompted, clenching her fists.

"The most likely scenario is for them both to die," Dumbledore said. "Because a thing like that- it would mean that they have to sink into the current, where their magic is reformed and divided between them, before they can appear again. Surviving from that is highly unlikely. I have read of it, but from the thousands who tried it, only few succeeded. So in a way it might have been better to let the unstable connection stay."

"But why would anyone want to do that willingly?" Ron asked.

"Because," the man said slow. "On the rare occasion of succession, the two doing it- their magical abilities would grow exponentially." He tapped a finger against the wood. "On simple terms, they would become more powerful because they would have the magic of two. Few people have that much power all by themselves, so long ago it was something greatly pursued. But about a thousand years ago the only people who had that ability were the founders of Hogwarts, and they linked their magic to the current and castle lest it went berserk."

"The founders?" Hermione asked. "I have never read of that, sir."

"That is because it was never made official," Dumbledore said, attempting to smile. "Those four were the last to try and succeed in linking their magic together so they could create Hogwarts. After that it was banned, and all documents regarding that subject were destroyed. It was deemed too dangerous."

"But Sirius found out about that, is that what you're saying?" Remus asked, speaking for the first time.

"I don't think he fully knew what he was doing," the man said. "But in a way it makes sense: Harry gave everything that was him to Sirius so it is only logical to assume that doing the same thing vice versa would correct it."

"But it doesn't," Tonks stated, and it was almost a question.

"In a way, it doesn't," Dumbledore said. "Our magic isn't like for example a book; we can't just loan it and expect it to return to us in the exact same condition we gave it away in. It's hardly that straightforward."

"So what happens now?" she asked.

Here, Dumbledore hesitated again. "I don't know," he finally admitted, and could finally see some panic in the eyes staring at him. In a way it was good, because not reacting was even worse. "We can't know for sure what will come down now. I cannot promise they will survive, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of them succeeding, either. It's all up to them."

"And what're we supposed to do in the meanwhile?" Ron asked, his voice tremendously higher than usual. "Are we just going to sit here and wait for Merlin only knows how long until something happens or _doesn't_ happen?"

Dumbledore slowly entwined his hands. "No," he said quietly. "We will know in a week or two." He swallowed imperceptibly, knowing what he was about to say was harsh but seeing no way around it. "Because if they don't succeed, we will find their bodies. Then we will know."

Hermione broke down into tears, and her sobs echoed in the deadly silent room for a long time.


	35. Chapter 35

**Ch 35**

**I**

_Harry laughed as he ran through a field with wind blowing in his hair and the strands of hay tickling his hands. He heard a bark from behind but before he could turn, something collided with the small of his back and he flew to the soft ground. Rolling around, he saw a black dog standing before him with a dog-like grin on his face. Moments later it was a smirking man. _

_'You're it,' Sirius grinned, and then ran off with a wolf on his heels. _

At first, the occupants of Grimmauld Place twelve thought it was the product of their imaginations, so no-one said a thing. They all lived there, in that house, because there was that feeble hope that Harry and Sirius might appear. Dumbledore had said that it wasn't uncommon for those being eaten away by the current to return to the places they had once resided in.

After a week, it had become clear it was something much more real than mere imagination. Once, in the middle of the night when Hermione had gone to get a glass of water from the kitchen, she had seen a blackhaired man standing by the fireplace staring into the flames. He had disappeared when the girl had went closer. Another time, during the day, Ron had went into the library to get a book to get his mind off things even for a second, and seen someone standing by the window. This figure had been blurry around the edges and had shifted oddly every other second so that first he was tall, then shorter, then mid-length. Ron hadn't gotten close enough to see his face before he had disappeared.

They could all hear barking and howling sometimes. Upon inspection, they found nothing, but thought they could hear the clicking of long nails on the wooden floor, distancing away. And sometimes, they heard laughter which seemed to be coming from the house itself, from the shady corners and the deserted fourth floor where no-one dared to go.

_'Where is this?' Harry asked as they lay on a bed and watched the flickering reflections of the sun on the white ceiling. _

_'I have no idea,' Sirius replied. Then they both burst out laughing and held onto each other. _

Two weeks after the incident, during lunch, the kitchen door opened all by itself. The silent, muffled conversations which had been going on were cut off as if a scythe had went through them, and they all stared at the doorway.

Tonks and Fred saw it first because they were sitting closest to the door, but little by little it got stronger until everyone in the room could see it. It was like a shady mirage, blurry and inaccurate but perfectly recognizable.

A ghost-like Harry walked into the room, appearing to be absentminded but happy. He looked back and laughed, and the sound seemed to come from afar. Moments later Sirius entered, combing his fingers through his hair and laughing as well, and then they both disappeared as if vaporized.

The very air in the room seemed to have gone still until Dumbledore lowered his cutlery to the table. "It won't be long now," he said quietly, and his voice seemed loud in the silent kitchen.

_Harry opened his eyes and saw the flowery field. Birds trilled and he could hear the light murmur of the stream somewhere in the woods, hidden in shadows. He spread his arms and fell back onto the soft flower-bed. _

_The sky was blue, so light-blue it almost hurt to look at it for a long period of time, and a few clouds were traveling across it. Harry let his eyes rest on the whiteness, watching it move over him to the west, as he bathed in the warm sunlight. He was feeling carefree and light, and couldn't remember the last time such a feeling had warmed his chest. Memories of what had happened recently twirled lazily in his mind, but he didn't get caught up in them. He had long since realized he didn't know what was going on and although that had bothered him a great deal at first- it had bothered them both- now he just accepted it. During the long period of time they had been here, he and Sirius had had much time to get used to it. _

_The grass rustled and Harry smiled, reaching out with his hand. It was taken into a warm hold and Sirius sat down next to his head. _

_'Did you find anything?' Harry asked. _

_'Nah,' the man replied. 'It's the same no matter how far I walk.' _

_'I wonder why we got stuck here. I mean, before, we jumped from here to there to there-there and back again but...' _

_'Who knows,' Sirius chuckled. _

_Harry closed his eyes again. Now they could take it calmly, but at first it had been such a shock. He remembered being in some dark place where shadows didn't exist. He remembered being in there for a long time, and could only faintly remember the days he'd spent at Grimmauld Place after leaving the St Mungo's before that. He remembered hearing an odd sound, like water rushing down a cliff, and then he'd been surrounded by a different darkness and Sirius had been there with him. At first he had thought it to be a hallucination- it was like his mind had insisted on it being a hallucination- but as time had went on, it had stopped mattering. It felt like everything had stopped mattering. _

_The scenes had changed so rapidly. They had been here, in the flowery field, like it was a starting point from where they had been transported- almost hauled- to places they both knew. Grimmauld Place had been one, Hogwarts another. There had been more, too, so much more, but those two had kept reoccurring over and over. But no matter where they had gone, they had always been alone, just the two of them. At first they had been wondering what was going on; neither of them seemed to clearly remember how they had ended up in this world where their every request was handled instantly like they were in an endless Room of Requirement; they had talked about it, but never reached a conclusion, and finally, it had stopped mattering._

_Harry opened his eyes and looked up to the sky. He saw the clouds ripple and lowered his gaze to Sirius. 'I love you, you know,' he said. It was random, he knew, but suddenly he just felt like saying it. _

_'Do I know?' Sirius teased and then laughed and ducked to avoid the patch of grass aimed at his head. 'I guess I love you too,' he said and leaned in to press a light kiss on Harry's forehead. _

_'You guess?' _

_'Fine, fine. I **know** I love you,' the man laughed. _

_'Good,' Harry said and looked up to the skies again. 'Something's happening again.' _

_Sirius glanced up as well. 'Oh shoot,' he groaned but with a playful taint to it. _

_Harry sat up and together they watched the world around them melt away. The birds stopped singing, the water stopped running, and the entire field seemed to sink into blackness as the sunlight faded away. They sat in the middle of it and watched. Harry remembered being upset by this sight at first, but that had been a long time ago. According to the made-up days they had conjured up in accordance to when they went to bed (the night always came when they so wished) they had been here for a month and a half already. During that time, he had seen their world melt away hundreds, if not thousands of times. _

_The blackness came complete as if it was a balloon someone had blown full. _

_'Here we go again,' Harry muttered and sat up straighter- not that it mattered that much._

_A bundle of twisting colors appeared before them and they were sucked inside. It was a whirl much akin to the one connected to traveling by Portkey, but without the sickening tug. It lasted for about half a minute, and then they landed on Grimmauld Place Twelve's dimly lit foyer. The foyer was a lot cleaner than what Harry had come accustomed to, and after a second, when someone came running down the stairs, he understood why. _

_A fifteen-year-old Sirius ran through his older counterpart and Harry without seeing them. If Harry looked at his own hand, he could see it reforming from the mist it had scattered to when the boy's arm had swept through it. Being inside either of their memories was much akin to that of being in a Pensieve, but not quite. _

_'Do you want to follow him?' Harry asked from Sirius. The man shook his head. _

_'I'm probably just going to eat before leaving. It aint't that interesting," he said. 'Let's try to go out.'_

_Harry didn't bother pointing out that it never worked, but only followed Sirius to the front door. He watched the man's hand go through the door-handle. 'I think it sucks we can't leave,' he said. Sirius agreed. _

_They had learned at some point that no matter which memory they were visiting, they couldn't go out of its frame. That was much akin to being in a Pensieve. The lousy part of it was that there were no guarantees about how long they were going to stay in one particular memory. The record was a whole week, and they had been stuck on Privet Drive Four when Harry had been five. _

_'I wonder why this keeps happening,' Harry said and leaned against a wall. It was solid behind his back. _

_Sirius just shrugged. Just like Harry, he didn't feel like exhausting that topic yet again. _

_They stood there in the foyer for good ten minutes before young Sirius came up. He took a coat and left without a word, and as the door clicked shut at his wake, the foyer started to melt away. _

_'Oh thank god,' Sirius said and straightened. The field appeared before them before getting sucked away again. 'Hey no fair, my childhood isn't that interesting,' he said with a half-groan, half-laugh, and Harry chuckled. _

_And then, they went on to visit another memory. _

_At first, when they had first gotten stuck in where-ever they were, Harry had asked Sirius how they'd ended up there. The man said he didn't remember and Harry had believed him. He couldn't _remember_ it himself, either- it was like a half-remembered dream from years back. It had stopped mattering surprisingly soon when they had been tossed from one memory to the other in no order at all. One moment, they could be in a memory of Sirius in school or at work, then jump to his or Harry's childhood and then straight to Harry's fourth year in school. It was all a mess. _

_During the breaks- sometimes long as the seasons, sometimes as short as seconds- from reliving their pasts, they had imagined up a house near the woods, next to the stream. It looked a bit like the place where Sirius had taken Harry during last Christmas but its interior was a mixture of many places. In reality, it wouldn't have been possible to have a living-room which was the Gryffindor common room and a park at the same time, not even with magic, but here it was possible. _

_They didn't need to eat, but still they had a kitchen. They didn't actually need sleep but still they had a bedroom. To its door was nailed the calendar they had made up. It showed how imaginary days turned into weeks, which in turn eventually turned into months. Their time was filled with reliving their own and each other's pasts, and when they weren't doing that they circled about the flowery field and tried to find a way out. They were sure that if they just looked long enough, they would find the door through which they had entered, but the problem remained that neither of them remembered coming there. _

_Five months after getting trapped in their dream-like limbo, Harry discovered that he could do magic. He had been bored so he had been sitting in their garden poking dead leaves- even the seasons changed if they so wished, so now the baxk of their house was inflamed with autumn colors while the porch was warmed by the early spring sun. The thought had suddenly come to him and he had muttered _Incendio_. The leaves had caught fire, burned, and turned to ash. When they'd still been smoking Harry had run inside to tell Sirius. _

_Gradually, as time went on and they couldn't find a way out while finding out even more about each other, they could do more. And more. And even more. There seemed to be no limit as to what they _could_ do. Even spells which had caused Harry trouble in the past were now as easy as breathing. _Everything_ about magic seemed to suddenly be as easy as breathing. They experimented to their limits, rested, and then tried a bit more. Everything in their world responded immediately and accurately. It could never become boring, though they did wonder. The wonder ceased to exist when they could mold the water rushing down the cliff they'd created into a castle by just linking their fingers and thinking about it. _

_The power was intoxicating and they wanted to know their limits. The visits they made to memories became a hindrance because it stole away the time they had in the field- on their playground. Everything about it was different now. Buildings and structures which defied the laws of physics and even sanity rose from the ground, blocking away the sun. Even the moon and stars were part of their experiments. By the end of the tenth month, Harry could reach out and take the moon to his hands, where it lay in a sphere of silvery light. Then he tossed it back and felt the energy it left in his hands. _

_After thirteen months there was nothing they couldn't do. Harry was more intoxicated about it than Sirius- that much power made him feel almost almighty. _

_Then came the day when he went too far. Combining the moon and the stars so that the moon had a collar of twinkly spots around it had become too easy to him, so he wanted to see what would happen if he put together the sun, the moon and the clouds. Sirius was away to take a walk so Harry was alone. As of late, Sirius had taken on the habit of taking his long walks, and Harry let him. He could keep himself entertained, and had thought about doing the combining for a while now but didn't want to try it in front of the man in case he failed. But if he succeeded, he could show Sirius his creation when the man came back._

_Harry walked to their backyard, which was filled with flowers they had aided to grow, trees which grew vertically, and the gazebo which hung upside down from the skies. He passed the gazebo and finally stopped near the treeline. _

_Harry looked up, feeling excited and a tad nervous, but still there was a smile on his face. He _knew_ he could do this. _

_He rolled up his sleeves and brought the moon to the sky. Then, as if drawing a line to the air, he pointed first at the moon, then the sun shining high on the sky, and then drew a circle which included a few clouds just passing over their house. _

_At first, nothing happened. Harry's heart-rate slowed down a notch- or rather, his heart thudded heavily in his chest in his disappointment. He already knew he wasn't going to tell Sirius about this. Then... The ground shook under his feet, just a light tremor but he felt it. Harry frowned, and then looked up to the sky. What he saw made him go pale and paralyzed his mind. _

_The sky had gone deep purple-violet- just the color they had created for their perfect sunset. But this color didn't give a feeling of relaxation but of deep anxiousness- it was an angry, furious color. The sun and the moon had come closer together alright, but the clouds were under them and not around them as Harry had intended, twisted into a madly grinning mouth full of sharp teeth. And as Harry looked closer, he could see that the moon and the sun were _eyes_ which were staring down to him. _

_He stumbled back and tried to cancel this. The cloud-grin only split wider and the sky went darker. Now Harry could feel the tremor strengthening and becoming constant. He felt anxious and unwell in the pit of his stomach. _

_The sun-moon eyes seemed to grow bigger. Harry realized with a twist on his insides that they weren't just growing: they were coming closer. The face drew neared until it was hovering right over him and now the ground wasn't just shaking- it was crumbling apart. _

_'Harry!'_

_Sirius was suddenly by his side, but Harry's mind was paralyzed by the shock of what he'd done and he didn't notice. _

_'Harry, what did you do?' _

_The cloud-grin split open and the world fell apart around them. Harry could feel Sirius's magic rushing around him and past him as the man tried to undo what he'd done. He tried to tell Sirius it was impossible but his throat didn't function. Then a darkness unlike anything else wrapped around them. _

_Harry shouted. It felt as if there were cold, sharp claws against his skin and then they started to tear him apart. He tried to destroy them, to struggle away- he kicked and twisted and turned- but nothing helped. His magic was futile. The claws were stronger than him and they were ripping him to pieces. At first he managed to stay conscious but when the claws reached deep enough, to that place within him where his magic was restored, the pain which followed knocked him right out. Then, he stayed in that darkness for a long, long time._

**II**

Harry awoke slowly, lazily. It took a long time- his mind felt as if it didn't want to wake up, like it wanted to stay in that place of disarray and chaos.

The first thing he noticed was how calm he felt. Calm and peaceful, serene even. Like there was no care in the world for him to preoccupy his mind with, like it was all... perfect. It felt absurd- a small part of him was trying to make it feel absurd without succeeding. Something echoed in his mind like the warm flutter of butterfly-wings, soft and light. It was again absurd, but the first thing he thought of was a field glowing gold in sunlight.

Slowly, Harry regained sense of his body. It felt groggy, heavy like he'd slept too long on a day off, and his mind was acting accordingly. He was feeling warm and content, and couldn't remember the last time he'd felt like that. Not after long a light sleep washed over him again and he fell asleep.

The next time Harry woke up, he could feel someone lying next to him. His mind worked slow, and he had to concentrate hard to focus on the light pressure against his forehead and knee. It took a long time for him to connect those sensations to a memory, and even longer for his hand to rise and then land on an arm he was pressing his head against.

He felt warm skin under his palm and only now, belatedly, his eyes fluttered open. A distorted flicker of a memory filled with darkness, blindness and fury filled his mind for a split of a second before sunlight stung his eyes sharply. He squinted, and raised his head.

He was laying on Sirius's bed in Grimmauld Place. The room was filled with sunlight that was making the floorboards glow and caught particles of dust from the air. Harry blinked and the room cleared out. He blinked again and lowered his eyes to the one laying next to him.

Sirius was asleep, right there next to Harry. His head was turned away and he looked peaceful. Then a light frown, like a shadow, swept over his face and Harry felt a flicker of something in his mind. He frowned as well and rose to lean to his elbow. His fingers were almost on Sirius's shoulder to nudge him awake when suddenly a bad feeling- almost like a premonition- swept over him. His hand halted and clenched into a fist. He tried to study the feeling but it slipped away until it felt as if it had never been there. The only thing left was a bad taste in his mouth.

Harry swallowed, and with a shaky hand shook the man's shoulder.

Sirius turned his head away before his eyes fluttered half-open. He blinked, and when Harry shook him again his eyes jumped over to him.

For a long time, they just looked at each other. Then, Sirius raised his hand and, after brief hesitation which seemed to last for a long time, brushed the tips of his fingers against Harry's cheek. He had a look of marvel on his face, like he believed he was still dreaming.

Slowly, Harry took that hand. It was warm and soft and solid and _he was holding it_. He knew this wasn't a dream, nor a hallucination. It just couldn't be.

Just as slowly, Harry brought their hands to his lips. Sirius's eyes followed him intently, unblinking, like the man was afraid that if he blinked Harry would disappear. Harry understood; he wasn't blinking either.

Then, as if of silent, mutual agreement, they hugged. It was an awkward position and they were almost careful about it at first, but when Harry felt it all- Sirius's chest against his, his arms around his shoulders, and the brush of hair against his cheek, a very violent tremble went through his body. Sirius held him tighter.

"Is this real?"

"Yes." Pause. "It has to be."

They held onto each other tighter and Harry closed his eyes. After a moment he realized he could feel Sirius's heart beating against his chest. He concentrated on the regular beat. Thump ... Thump ... Thump ... _Thump._ Harry was dead-certain he could feel it. This was no illusion. When he inhaled, he could smell Sirius. It was real. When he moved his hand, he felt hair against his palm. He couldn't have imagined it. Just a light press of his leg and Sirius's leg pressed tighter against his. _He could feel it_.

"I'm not imagining this?"

"No."

A flutter of bundled up memories appeared in Harry's mind. The first he could make out was a distant image of a castle built of rushing, foamy water.

"Was that real?"

"...I think so."

The memories went on like a half-remembered dream. Harry shivered and Sirius held him tighter.

"We don't have to think about that."

Harry pressed his face into the pillow and tried not to think. But still, the image of a horrible, twisted face kept popping up inside his mind until he couldn't take it anymore and rose again.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Harry couldn't say. The face was in his mind again, flickering over his eyes, and he hoped he could share that vision with Sirius. He didn't _want_ to voice that, to give it a form.

"That."

Sirius sat up, too, and looked back to his pillow. It had a slight dip in the middle and his fingers reached out to touch it. But just when they were inches away, Sirius let his hand fall down. Harry felt something, like a memory, going through his mind, and suddenly a funny sort of thought struck him.

_We didn't leave any dips on our pillows in there. _Where? he asked himself, sure he could and more importantly should remember, but it was like trying to grasp a dream he had seen in the middle of the night. It just slipped away.

"What happened?"

"I don't know."

"We're at Grimmauld Place, aren't we?"

"I think so, yeah."

Harry looked around. It felt like it had been a long time since he'd last been in that room. It looked so different from what he remembered. But then again it was the same, and it confused him. After a while he realized what it was: the room looked like someone had left it a long time ago and the other occupants of the house had kept it in the exact same condition out of dutifulness rather than anything else. It felt cold, and abandoned, despite the sun shining in and the clothes disregarded here and there on the floor.

"This don't feel right."

"... I know what you mean."

They looked at the bed, and even that looked empty even though they were sitting on it. Suddenly Harry got the desire to cringe away from it all like it was something disgusting.

"What's going on?"

"Who knows..." But the answer came belatedly, and Harry got the impression Sirius wasn't being entirely truthful with him. He looked over to the man and saw Sirius looking- not at the room- but at his hands. Harry couldn't understand what could be so interesting in a pair of hands but leaned closer still. And what he saw felt somehow off.

"You see it too?"

"Yeah."

"What's wrong with it?"

Harry wanted to say "Nothing" but couldn't. He shifted to stand on his knees, leaned an arm on Sirius's back and looked again. There was something off in Sirius's hands. He glanced at his own on his knee and then brought it next to Sirius's.

"I dunno."

Sirius looked up from his hands. "You look off, too."

Harry raised a hand to his face like he could see himself like that. "I do?"

"Yeah."

"How?"

"Dunno. It's just off." Sirius's eyes narrowed and his fingers combed through Harry's hair. He needn't even ask.

"You look a bit off, too. Dunno how."

"... Was it a dream? That."

A flickering memory, slippery like dipped in oil, briefly danced over Harry's mind's eye, showing him the field and the cliffs and the upside down gazebo. He almost remembered more, but then it escaped from him. "Yes." And he was as certain as can be.

"Are you sure?"

"Are _you_ sure?"

"I'm not sure of anything. Except-" Sirius clenched his fists. "This could be real. No memory. No... that."

"What is 'that'," Harry murmured, but clenched his fists too. He had a feeling he should have felt a surge of energy when he did that but now it was just his hands closing and muscles tensing before he relaxed again.

As they had talked, the sun had moved and left the room. Now it was getting dark and the room seemed even colder, even more abandoned and lonely.

"Should we sleep?"

"We just woke up."

"Did we?"

"Who knows."

And then they both laughed and lay back down. Harry rested his head on Sirius's shoulder and enjoyed his warmth. After closing their eyes, they fell into unconsciousness immediately.

**III**

"I'm telling you, I heard something!"

"Ron-" Hermione tried to catch up to the longer-legged wizard who was striding up the stairs three at a time. "Ron, there's no-one there. There has been no-one there since-"

"I know that but I say I _heard_ something, alright?" Ron didn't even turn or bother lowering his voice- everyone in the house was still up. "And don't gimme that crap about letting it go," he snapped before Hermione could even respond. "I'm not losing hope-"

"I've never said we should lose hope, but Ron, really-"

"I heard it," Ron said and then he was on the fourth-floor landing. He was already regretting going downstairs to tell Hermione about the voices he had heard a while back and wished he had just come here by himself. But the truth was that he had been- and still was- scared of the abandoned, shadowy fourth-floor. "There's probably nothing here," he continued. "Let's just make sure."

"Yeah," Hermione said. She glanced around and pulled her sweater tighter around herself even though it wasn't cold up there. "Yeah. Where did you hear it from?"

"I'm... not sure," Ron said. "I was just going down when I heard it, anyway, so I can't tell for sure," he said with a slightly explaining tone, like Hermione was accusing him of not being certain. "Let's just check both rooms."

"Yeah, good idea," Hermione said, but didn't make a move to go to either of the doors looming in the shadows. After a while of standing around Ron realized why- the girl was just as terrified as he was, both terrified and sickly hopeful. For the last three weeks it had been nothing but being terrified and sickly hopeful. Almost every door they opened, they wished it led to Harry and Sirius. They wished they could meet them in the library, where the two of them would be dusty and exhausted but apparently happy after digging through a mountain of books for no apparent reason. They hoped against hope every time they went to the kitchen that they would find them there, Sirius rocking with his chair and Harry munching an apple next to him as they argued over the crossword-puzzle in The Quibbler. Every door they opened they hoped would be the one, and the feeling had intensified daily since Dumbledore's announcement four weeks ago.

Ron's heart was beating against his throat as he turned to Harry's door. _This's it_, he suddenly thought as he reached for the doorknob. _They'll be here. I just __**know**__ it._ But when the door swung aside (Ron had stopped breathing when he pushed it open) they both stared into the vacant, dark room and Ron tried to swallow down bitter, sour disappointment and ever growing dread. Because how many doors were there in that house? They had opened them all, and while Ron, nor Hermione, nor anyone else remembered when or why they had become so fixated with doors, he felt in his heart that they were running out of time.

Ron didn't look at Hermione as he pulled the door shut and went for Sirius's. _This has to be it._ _Please, let it be this,_ he thought almost desperately and again his breath caught in his throat as he turned the doorknob and pushed the door aside. He saw only darkness and desperation poured down his throat like acid.

"No, wait!" Hermione said when Ron was about to pull this door- this very last door- close and finally succumb to the idea that maybe his best friend really was to never return from behind the border. She rushed beside him and placed a hand on the door to prevent it from closing, even though Ron had frozen to stillness the moment she had spoken. Then, her hand fell limp to her side and her voice was an incoherent mumble. "R-Ron," she said out of breath. "Ron!"

Ron looked, and his hand slipped from the doorknob as every bit of strength left his body. There was a lamp on the desk beside the bed and now, belatedly, it was flickering to light. In the soft halo it cast on the bed, they saw Sirius and Harry, sleeping soundly close together. _Very _close together, in fact. They saw Harry move, his hand clutching onto the front of Sirius's shirt, and Sirius's arm wrapping around him loosely. Harry sighed lightly through his nose and Ron and Hermione looked at each other before running downstairs so fast they almost broke their necks.


End file.
